Overview
- Headquarters
- New York, NY
- Average Client Assets
- $4.0 million
- Minimum Account Size
- $100,000
- SEC CRD Number
- 124687
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (ADV PART 2A)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $10,000,000 | 1.25% |
| $10,000,001 | $35,000,000 | 0.90% |
| $35,000,001 | $100,000,000 | 0.75% |
| $100,000,001 | $150,000,000 | 0.60% |
| $150,000,001 | and above | 0.45% |
Minimum Annual Fee: $7,500
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $12,500 | 1.25% |
| $5 million | $62,500 | 1.25% |
| $10 million | $125,000 | 1.25% |
| $50 million | $462,500 | 0.92% |
| $100 million | $837,500 | 0.84% |
Clients
- HNW Share of Firm Assets
- 15.81%
- Total Client Accounts
- 43,954
- Discretionary Accounts
- 43,516
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 438
Services Offered
Services: Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Companies, Portfolio Management for Pooled Investment Vehicles, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Investment Advisor Selection, Educational Seminars
Regulatory Filings
Additional Brochure: ADV PART 2A (2026-03-27)
View Document Text
Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC
Client Brochure
March 27, 2026
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
www.nb.com
NBIA
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Neuberger
Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“
”). If you have any questions about the contents of this
Brochure, please contact us at 212-476-9000 or by email at: NBIA.ADVINFO@nb.com.
Advisers Act
SEC
NBIA is registered as an investment adviser under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
”). NBIA is subject to the Advisers Act rules and regulations adopted
amended (the “
”). Registration as an investment adviser
by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“
does not imply any particular level of skill or training.
information about NBIA
is also available on
the SEC’s website at
Additional
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
*
*
*
*
The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the SEC or by any state
securities authority.
Material Changes
Item 2:
Item 8
This Brochure dated March 27, 2026 has been prepared in accordance with rules adopted by the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This Brochure will be updated at least annually to
provide other ongoing disclosure information about material changes, as necessary. There have
not been material changes to NBIA’s Part 2A since its most recent Annual Update on March 28,
2025. However, please note that NBIA has updated various sections of the Brochure as part of its
Annual Updating Amendment, including Material Risks in (
).
ii
Table of Contents
Item 3:
ITEM 1:
COVER PAGE .............................................................................................................................. i
ITEM 2:
MATERIAL CHANGES ............................................................................................................ ii
ITEM 3:
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iii
ITEM 4:
ADVISORY BUSINESS ............................................................................................................. 1
A.
Description of the Firm ......................................................................................................... 1
B.
Types of Advisory Services .................................................................................................. 2
C.
Client Tailored Services and Client Tailored Restrictions ....................................... 7
D.
Wrap and Related Programs ............................................................................................... 8
E.
Assets under Management ............................................................................................... 11
ITEM 5:
FEES AND COMPENSATION ............................................................................................. 12
A.
Fee Schedule........................................................................................................................... 12
B.
Payment Method .................................................................................................................. 35
C.
Other Fees and Expenses .................................................................................................. 39
D.
Prepayment of Fees and Refunds .................................................................................. 46
E.
Sales Compensation ............................................................................................................ 47
ITEM 6:
PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT ................. 52
ITEM 7:
TYPES OF CLIENTS .............................................................................................................. 55
ITEM 8:
METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS .. 58
A.
Methods of Analyses ........................................................................................................... 58
B.
Investment Strategies ......................................................................................................... 61
C.
Material Risks ........................................................................................................................ 69
ITEM 9:
DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 143
ITEM 10:
OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS ................... 144
A.
Registration as a Broker-Dealer or Registered Representative ....................... 144
B.
Registration as a Futures Commission Merchant, Commodity Pool Operator,
Commodity Trading Advisor or Associated Person .............................................. 144
C.
Material Relationships ..................................................................................................... 144
D.
Selection of Other Investment Advisers .................................................................... 150
ITEM 11:
CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL TRADING ........................................................... 152
A.
Code of Ethics ...................................................................................................................... 152
B.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions..................................................... 152
iii
C.
Personal Trading ................................................................................................................ 156
D.
Other Conflicts of Interest ............................................................................................... 158
ITEM 12:
BROKERAGE PRACTICES ................................................................................................ 167
A.
Criteria for Selection of Broker-Dealers .................................................................... 167
B.
Aggregation of Orders/Allocation of Trades ........................................................... 172
ITEM 13:
REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS ................................................................................................... 177
A.
Periodic Reviews ................................................................................................................ 177
B.
Non-Periodic Reviews ...................................................................................................... 178
C.
Client Reports ...................................................................................................................... 178
ITEM 14:
CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION ............................................ 180
A.
Compensation by Non-Clients ....................................................................................... 180
B.
Compensation for Client Referrals .............................................................................. 180
ITEM 15:
CUSTODY ............................................................................................................................... 182
ITEM 16:
INVESTMENT DISCRETION ............................................................................................ 185
ITEM 17:
VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES ........................................................................................ 187
ITEM 18:
FINANCIAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 190
A.
Prepayment of Fees (Six or more months in advance) ....................................... 190
B.
Impairment of Contractual Commitments ............................................................... 190
C.
Bankruptcy Petitions ........................................................................................................ 190
iv
Advisory Business
Item 4:
A. Description of the Firm
NBIA
“NBBD”
NBG
Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“
”) is a Delaware limited liability company,
SEC
formed in November 2002 and registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“
”) in January 2003. Previously known as Neuberger Berman Fixed Income LLC, the firm
adopted its present name on January 1, 2016, concurrent with the transfer of certain businesses
NBAIM
), NB
from its affiliates Neuberger Berman BD LLC (formerly Neuberger Berman LLC) (
Alternative Investment Management LLC (“
”) and Neuberger Berman Management LLC.
On January 1, 2017, NBBD and NBAIM transferred the remainder of their advisory businesses to
NBIA. The combined firms’ antecedents date to the founding of Neuberger & Berman in 1939.
NBIA’s principal office is located in New York, New York. NBIA is directly owned by Neuberger
Berman Investment Advisers Holdings LLC and Neuberger Berman AA LLC, which are subsidiaries
of Neuberger Berman Group LLC (“
”).
CTA
CPO
”) and a commodity pool operator (“
NBIA is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity trading
advisor (“
”), and is a member of the U.S. National
Futures Association.
investment management
services
and
non-discretionary
NBIA provides a wide range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment management
services to a variety of clients, including individuals, institutions, registered investment
companies, non-U.S. registered funds and private investment funds. The firm also provides
securities
discretionary
recommendations through wrap fee and similar programs, and acts as discretionary and non-
discretionary sub-adviser to a variety of products, including registered investment companies,
separately managed accounts, non-U.S. registered funds, collective investment trusts, common
trusts funds and private investment vehicles.
Indirect Ownership Background – Neuberger Berman Group
Firm
Neuberger”
”
NBG is a holding company, the subsidiaries of which (collectively referred to herein as the “
or “
) provide a broad range of global investment solutions – equity, fixed income,
multi-asset class and alternatives – to institutions and individuals through products including
separately managed accounts, registered funds and private investment vehicles. As of December
1
31, 2025, Neuberger had approximately $563 billion under management.
NBSH
”). NBSH is owned by
NBG’s voting equity is wholly owned by NBSH Acquisition, LLC (“
current and former employees, directors and, in certain instances, their permitted transferees.
Neuberger is headquartered in New York, New York. As of December 31, 2025, Neuberger had
2,922 employees in 40 cities around the world.
1
Firm assets under management figures reflect the collective assets for the various subsidiaries
of NBG.
NBIA’s investment management services are further discussed below.
B. Types of Advisory Services
NBIA currently provides the following types of advisory services:
Separately Managed Accounts
Neuberger Wealth Accounts
NBIA provides ongoing discretionary investment management services to individual and
institutional clients based on the individual investment goals, objectives, time horizon, and risk
tolerance of each client. NBIA provides its advisory services through (i) separately managed
accounts for individual and institutional clients that are serviced by the private wealth segment of
Institutional
”) and (ii) separately managed accounts for
NBIA’s business (“
Separate Accounts”
Accounts
clients that are serviced by the institutional segment of NBIA’s business (“
”, and collectively with Neuberger Wealth Accounts, “
Wealth Advisory Program
). Neuberger
Wealth Accounts include accounts managed under the Neuberger Wealth Advisory Program
”), through which NBIA provides, on a discretionary and non-
(“
discretionary basis, asset allocations and investment management by allocating assets among
GPS
various proprietary and non-proprietary investment strategies available through the Wealth
Program
Advisory Program, and accounts managed under the Guided Portfolio Solutions Program (“
Affiliated Mutual Funds
Affiliated ETFs
OCIO
”), through which NBIA provides asset allocations and investment management based
”) and affiliated
on various model portfolios of affiliated mutual funds (“
ETFs (“
”) (it is intended that the model portfolios will also include complementary
unaffiliated mutual funds and ETFs in the future, which would be provided for in the Client’s
advisory agreement). Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (“
”) services are also provided by
the Wealth Advisory Program. Retail clients that have a Neuberger Wealth Account or invest
through the Wealth Advisory Program or the GPS Program should also review NBIA/NBBD’s Form
CRS, which is available at http://www.nb.com/form_CRS_nbia_nbbd/.
Non-Discretionary Wealth Program
Wealth Program
With respect to each Neuberger Wealth Account client that invests through the Wealth Advisory
Client”
Program (including those for whom NBIA provides OCIO services) (each, a “
Discretionary Wealth
), as further provided in the Client’s advisory agreement and based on investment
Program
guidelines established by the client, NBIA, on a discretionary basis (“
”) or non-discretionary basis (“
Proprietary Separate Accounts
Third-Party Separate Accounts
”), allocates the
Wealth Program Client’s assets to various proprietary and third-party investment strategies and
investment vehicles that are available as investment options through the Wealth Advisory
Program, including discretionary separate account strategies managed by NBIA or its affiliate
”), third-party discretionary separate account strategies
(“
Investment
(“
”), affiliated and unaffiliated pooled investment vehicles
Affiliated Registered Funds
Third-Party Registered
Company Act
registered under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “
Registered Funds
Funds
” and such vehicles, “
” and “
Semi-Liquid Private Funds
,” respectively, and collectively, “
Private Funds
”), affiliated and unaffiliated Private
CITs
”), and
Funds (as defined below) that provide for periodic liquidity (“
affiliated and unaffiliated collective investment trusts (“
”). From time to time, where
specifically agreed with a Wealth Program Client and in accordance with the eligibility
requirements of the applicable product, NBIA can allocate a Wealth Program Client’s assets to (i)
”) other than
affiliated and unaffiliated privately offered investment vehicles (“
2
The Wealth Advisory Program
those generally available in the Wealth Advisory Program, (ii) Non-U.S. Registered Funds,
including UCITS, managed by NBIA or its affiliates, or (iii) Private Investments (each, as defined
below). The strategies that are available through the Wealth Advisory Program are further
” in Item 8.B. NBIA utilizes proprietary strategies as
described in “
its primary investment options. Non-proprietary strategies are generally considered only as a
complement to proprietary strategies. Similarly, where the NBIA representative for the Wealth
Program Client is part of a portfolio management team, the representative will generally utilize
that team’s own strategies as the primary investment options. See also Items 10.C.1, 10.D and
11.B.4.
Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates
Affiliated CITs
For certain of NBIA’s large Institutional Account clients, NBIA offers customized multi-asset or
multi-strategy investment management services that utilize the services of NBIA and its affiliates
(“
”). For Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates, where agreed with the
client and in accordance with applicable law and the eligibility requirements of the applicable
product, NBIA may allocate the client’s assets to Affiliated Registered Funds, Affiliated ETFs,
Private Funds (as defined below), CITs sponsored or maintained by Neuberger Berman Trust
Company N.A. or its affiliate (“
”) and Third-Party Portfolio Funds (as defined
below).
From time to time, NBIA provides investment management services to Separate Accounts for
which it helps to establish investment objectives and monitor the achievement of those objectives
Third-Party Portfolio Funds
through investments in pooled investment vehicles for which a third party acts as general partner,
managing member or adviser (“
”) and in Third-Party Separate
Third-Party Portfolio
Accounts. The general partner, managing member or adviser to the Third-Party Portfolio Funds
Managers
and the Third-Party Separate Accounts are collectively referred to as “
”.
“Client-Directed Transactions”
From time to time, existing Neuberger Wealth Account clients direct NBIA or its affiliate, NBBD,
). Securities
to purchase or sell securities on their behalf (
purchased as Client-Directed Transactions by NBIA or NBBD will, unless otherwise agreed,
generally be held in a segregated portion of the client’s account or in a brokerage account as
unsupervised holdings; however, it is possible that securities purchased as Client-Directed
Transactions will not be reflected in the custodian’s books and records by a specific mark,
designation, or other indication. Neither NBIA nor NBBD will provide portfolio management
services to the segregated portion of the account or the brokerage account and will not receive
advisory fees with respect to that portion of the account or the brokerage account, as applicable.
Any decisions concerning the retention, disposition, or other change with respect to securities
purchased as Client-Directed Transactions remain solely with the client. It is possible that clients
will be required to establish a separate brokerage account for unsupervised holdings and Client-
Directed Transactions.
NFS
IPOs
For Neuberger Wealth Account clients, NBIA utilizes a prime brokerage arrangement with
”) to facilitate the transfer of shares for initial public
National Financial Services LLC (“
offerings (“
”) and secondary offerings. Under SEC guidance, an advisory client is not
permitted to participate in a prime brokerage arrangement unless the client maintains at least
$100,000 in assets with the prime broker. Clients that maintain less than $100,000 with NFS or
maintain their assets with a prime broker other than NFS are generally excluded from receiving
3
shares of IPOs or secondary offerings as they are not eligible for utilizing the prime brokerage
arrangement needed to deliver the shares to their accounts.
PIPEs
“Private Investments”
In addition, portfolio managers, from time to time, invest client assets in the equity or debt of
”), SPACs (as defined below) or
private companies, private investments in public equity (“
other private placements or restricted securities (collectively,
). Private
Investments may be subject to minimum investment requirements. In addition, Private
Investments are generally limited to investors that meet certain eligibility requirements.
Proprietary Registered Investment Companies
Closed-End Funds
Listed Closed-End Funds
NBIA serves as investment adviser to certain investment companies that are registered under the
Investment Company Act, including open-end investment companies that are distributed by one
or more of NBIA’s affiliates (i.e., Affiliated Mutual Funds and Affiliated ETFs) and closed-end funds
”). The Closed-End Funds include closed-end investment companies that are
(“
PE Funds
Registered
”), closed-end investment companies
listed on a national exchange (the “
Interval Funds
”), and closed-
that invest in a portfolio of private equity investments (the “
”). Certain
end investment companies that operate as interval funds (the “
Registered PE Funds issue interests only to persons or entities that are both “accredited investors”
Securities Act
as defined in Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“
”), and “qualified clients” as defined in Rule 205-3 under the Advisers Act.
,
NBIA typically provides investment services that include, among other things and as applicable,
determination as to: (a) which securities to buy or sell; (b) the total amount of securities to buy or
sell; (c) the broker or dealer through which securities are bought or sold; (d) the commission rates
at which securities transactions are effected; and (e) the prices at which securities are to be
bought or sold, which include dealer spreads or mark-ups and transaction costs. NBIA also selects
and oversees sub-advisers, both affiliated and unaffiliated, for certain of the Affiliated Registered
Funds. The advisory services provided by NBIA to the Affiliated Registered Funds cover a broad
range of strategies and investments. NBIA carries out its duties subject to the general oversight
of each Affiliated Registered Fund’s Board of Trustees/Directors/Managers. NBIA has entered
into sub-advisory agreements with certain of its affiliates, including NB Alternatives Advisers LLC
whereby those affiliates provide investment advisory
and Neuberger Berman Europe Limited
services to certain of the Affiliated Registered Funds.
Co-Investment
Secondary Investment
Private Equity Securities
NBIA will invest the Registered PE Funds in a portfolio of Third-Party Portfolio Funds and directly
in equity or debt securities of portfolio companies alongside other Private Funds, Third-Party
Portfolio Funds and other private equity firms (each, a “
”). The Registered PE
Funds will also invest opportunistically in Third-Party Portfolio Funds acquired as “secondary
investments” in privately negotiated transactions from investors in the Third-Party Portfolio
Funds (each, a “
”). The interests in Third-Party Portfolio Funds consist of
a variety of private equity fund types and strategies, such as venture capital partnerships, growth
equity partnerships, special situations partnerships, buyout private equity partnerships, and
international private equity partnerships (together with Secondary Investments and Co-
Investments, the “
”).
Clients should refer to each Registered Fund’s summary prospectus, prospectus, Statement of
Additional Information, offering/placement memorandum and constitutional documents, as
4
“Registration Statement”
) for additional
applicable (with respect to Registered Funds, the
information.
Private Investment Vehicles
Private Funds
NBIA acts as the investment manager (or similar capacity), providing discretionary investment
management services to Private Funds. The Private Funds advised by NBIA or its affiliates are
referred to herein as “
”.
GP Entity
Private Funds are generally organized or “sponsored” by NBIA or an affiliate of NBIA, and NBIA or
an affiliate of NBIA will typically act as the managing member or general partner or similar entity
(collectively, the “
”) of the Private Funds. For certain Private Funds, affiliates of NBIA
also serve as officers, directors or other persons authorized to facilitate the operation of the
Private Funds. In some cases, NBIA serves as an adviser or sub-adviser to Private Funds that are
organized, managed or sponsored by entities that are not affiliated with NBIA.
Regulation D
Private Funds are not registered under the Investment Company Act, and their shares or interests,
as applicable, are not registered under the Securities Act, and are instead sold to qualified
investors who meet certain criteria on a private placement basis. Most of the Private Funds
require that investors be (1)(a) “accredited investors” as defined under Regulation D under the
Securities Act (“
”) and (b) “qualified purchasers” as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A)
of the Investment Company Act or “knowledgeable employees” under Rule 3c-5 of the Investment
Company Act or (2) not “U.S. Persons” as defined under Regulation S of the Securities Act.
Accordingly, the Private Funds are not publicly offered in the United States. Certain Private Funds
rely on Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act. The investors in those Private Funds are
not required to be “qualified purchasers” or “knowledgeable employees”; rather those Private
Funds restrict the beneficial ownership of its outstanding securities to not more than one hundred
persons. Some Private Funds are not continuously offered.
Portfolio Funds
Affiliated Portfolio Funds
Private Funds invest in Private Investments and other investments, including through affiliated
and unaffiliated pooled investment vehicles (“
”) or Separate Accounts. The
general partner, managing member or adviser to the Portfolio Funds and the Separate Accounts
Portfolio Managers
”) and Proprietary Separate
(which, for affiliated Portfolio Funds (“
Accounts, will be NBIA or its affiliate) are collectively referred to as “
”. NBIA
(or its affiliate) has the overall responsibility for implementing the investment strategies of each
Private Fund and has the authority to select Portfolio Funds or Separate Accounts within the stated
investment strategies and objectives of each Private Fund. Certain Private Funds co-invest
alongside other Affiliated Funds (as defined below).
“Offering Documents”
Clients should refer to each Private Fund’s offering memorandum and constitutional documents
(with respect to Private Funds, the
) for additional information. For a list
of certain of the Private Funds, please refer to Section 7.B(1) of Schedule D of Part 1A of NBIA’s
Form ADV, which is publicly available at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Sub-Advisory Services
Sub-Advised Accounts
NBIA acts as sub-adviser to a variety of affiliated and unaffiliated products, including the following
(collectively, the “
”):
5
•
Non-U.S.
•
Registered Funds;
Registered Funds
Non-U.S. funds registered under the securities laws of offshore jurisdictions (“
“UCITS”
Securities (
”), including Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable
);
•
Separate Accounts; and
•
Private Funds (for a list of certain of the Private Funds sub-advised by NBIA, please refer to
Section 7.B(2) of Schedule D of Part 1A of NBIA’s Form ADV, which is publicly available at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
See Item 4.D for a description of wrap and related programs.
Non-Discretionary Services
Non-Discretionary Accounts
NBIA provides non-discretionary investment management services to institutional and individual
client accounts (“
”), including those where it is required to consult
with the client before effecting any transactions for the client’s account. For those accounts, NBIA’s
services include (i) one-time, periodic or ongoing responsibility to make recommendations to a
client as to investment policy statement design and specific securities, strategies, managers,
vehicles or other investments to be purchased, sold or held for a client’s account, and, if NBIA’s
recommendations are accepted by the client, to arrange or effect the implementation of any
accepted recommendations, including the purchase or sale of the recommended securities or
other investments and establishing or closing accounts for separate account strategies; or (ii) non-
binding investment advice in the form of written investment analyses on specific securities or a
model portfolio. With respect to the provision of those non-discretionary services, clients have
sole discretion and final responsibility for deciding whether to buy, sell, hold or otherwise transact
in any security. Where applicable, NBIA’s recommendations will include equity, fixed income and
alternative products and strategies managed by NBIA or its affiliate.
Separately Managed Accounts
” in this Item 4.B., certain clients that invest through
As discussed in “
the Wealth Advisory Program do so on a non-discretionary basis.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Client Accounts
The Separate Accounts, Affiliated Registered Funds, Private Funds, Sub-Advised Accounts, Wrap
Program accounts, Unbundled Program accounts, and Dual Contract Program accounts (each as
defined herein) for which NBIA provides advisory services are collectively referred to herein as
the “
.”
With respect to the services provided above, in many cases, NBIA engages in discussions or
provides materials that are not individualized or directed to any particular investor or that
otherwise would not be deemed to constitute “investment advice” under applicable rules,
6
ERISA
Code
”), or
”).
including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“
Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “
C. Client Tailored Services and Client Tailored Restrictions
NBIA enters into discretionary or non-discretionary investment management agreements with its
Separate Account clients. See Item 16. Clients are permitted to impose restrictions on investing
in certain securities or other assets in accordance with their particular needs. However, generally,
NBIA can decide not to accommodate investment restrictions deemed unduly burdensome or
materially incompatible with NBIA’s investment approach. With respect to asset allocation
programs offered by NBIA that allocate assets among various strategies or pooled investment
vehicles, clients are generally permitted to impose reasonable restrictions on investing in certain
securities or other assets with respect to proprietary and third-party discretionary separate
account strategies (to the extent the restriction is accepted by the relevant portfolio manager) and
on investing in certain funds or other pooled investment vehicles, but are not permitted to restrict
the securities in which the pooled investment vehicle can invest. Further, NBIA can generally
decline to permit any account restriction that affects more than a stated percentage of the Client
Account. From time to time, NBIA is engaged to provide limited investment management services
such as liquidating a client’s account. Some clients also have access to customized educational
programs or participate in, or are involved in the selection of, investment management research
projects of NBIA and its affiliates.
NBIA enters into discretionary investment advisory or management agreements with the Private
Funds for which it provides advisory services. Services are performed in accordance with the
terms of each such agreement. Each Private Fund imposes investment restrictions, if any, as it
deems appropriate. Investment restrictions are typically set forth in the Offering Documents for
each Private Fund.
NBIA enters into discretionary investment advisory or management agreements with the
Affiliated Registered Funds. Each Affiliated Registered Fund managed by NBIA is managed in
accordance with the investment objectives, policies and strategies of the Affiliated Registered
Fund, as described in its Registration Statement. Each Affiliated Registered Fund has a Board of
Trustees/Directors/Managers that is responsible for providing oversight of the Affiliated
Registered Fund. Each Affiliated Registered Fund and its Board of Trustees/Directors/Managers
have the ability to impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities.
In the case of the Sub-Advised Accounts, NBIA enters into a sub-advisory agreement with the
relevant investment adviser. The terms and conditions of those arrangements vary, and any
contact between NBIA and the ultimate client will typically take place through the relevant
investment adviser. Each Sub-Advised Account is managed in accordance with the investment
objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the sub-advisory agreement between NBIA and
the investment adviser.
The advisory agreement or investment guidelines of some Separate Accounts (including those in
the Wealth Advisory Program), Sub-Advised Accounts, Wrap Program accounts, Unbundled
Program accounts, and Dual Contract Program accounts restrict the ability of NBIA to invest in
certain products including Affiliated Registered Funds or Private Funds (including Private Funds)
without authorization from the client.
7
Certain Non-Discretionary Wealth Program clients impose restrictions that limit the strategies
and investment vehicles presented to the client.
See Item 4.D for a description of client-tailored services and the restrictions on Wrap Programs,
Unbundled Programs, and Dual Contract Programs.
The performance of Client Accounts that are subject to restrictions imposed by clients will vary
from the account performance of unrestricted accounts that NBIA manages with the same or a
similar investment strategy.
D. Wrap and Related Programs
Wrap Programs
Wrap Sponsors
Unbundled Program Sponsors
Program Sponsors
Programs
” and, together with Wrap Programs, “
Wrap Program Clients
Unbundled Program Clients
NBIA participates as a sub-adviser in discretionary wrap programs and as a model portfolio
”). A Wrap
provider in non-discretionary and discretionary wrap programs (“
Program is an investment program where the Wrap Program Clients generally
pay to the Wrap
Program sponsors (“
”) one bundled or “wrapped” fee that covers investment
management, trade execution, custodial services and other administrative services. Wrap
Program Clients (defined below) should be aware that services similar or comparable to those
provided to them as participants in Wrap Programs are often available at a higher or lower
aggregate cost elsewhere either separately or on an unbundled basis. (see Item 5 for additional
detail). In some cases, financial intermediaries (“
” and, together
Unbundled Programs
”), offer clients programs that function like Wrap
with Wrap Sponsors, “
Programs (“
”), except that
instead of paying a bundled or “wrapped” fee, clients pay fees on an unbundled basis to separate
parties, including a fee for trade execution to a designated broker other than the Program Sponsor.
” and the
The clients of the Wrap Programs are referred to herein as “
Program Clients
clients of the Unbundled Programs are referred to herein as “
,” and
”. The Program Sponsors are typically
together with Wrap Program Clients, “
broker-dealers, financial institutions or other investment advisers that establish, operate and
administer the Programs. The Program Sponsors are responsible for reviewing the financial
circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerances and investment restrictions of each
Program Client. For each Program Client, the Program Sponsors are responsible for determining
the suitability of, and eligibility (including any applicable investor qualifications) to participate in,
the Programs and the suitability of the investment strategy(ies) selected.
In discretionary Programs, the Program Sponsor typically selects or appoints NBIA as its sub-
adviser to manage designated assets of its Program Clients in one or more investment strategies.
In those discretionary Programs, NBIA generally has no direct contractual relationship with the
Program Clients, but has investment discretion over the designated assets in the accounts of the
Program Clients. NBIA manages the accounts in accordance with the selected investment strategy
and reasonable client-directed restrictions. NBIA is not, however, responsible for the cash sweep
vehicles offered by Program Sponsors.
Dual Contract Clients
Dual Contract Program
In some cases, a Program Sponsor will make NBIA’s advisory services available to their clients in
a “dual contract” capacity, where the clients (“
”) contract separately with
the Program Sponsor or a designated broker for brokerage and other services and with NBIA for
”). Certain of the Dual Contract Client
portfolio management services (“
8
accounts are managed in the investment strategies that are also available to Program Clients. In
other cases, Dual Contract Client accounts are managed in certain investment strategies that are
otherwise available to Neuberger Wealth Account clients.
Subject to its obligation to seek best execution, NBIA will seek to execute equity transactions for
Wrap Program Client accounts, Unbundled Program Client accounts and Dual Contract Client
accounts, and anticipates that the majority of equity transactions for the accounts will be executed,
through the Program Sponsors or designated brokers. When trades are executed through the
Program Sponsors or designated brokers, the bundled fee paid by each Wrap Program Client, or
brokerage fee agreed to by the Unbundled Program Client or Dual Contract Client and the Program
Sponsor or the designated broker, as applicable, typically covers all brokerage commissions and
execution costs on the trades. However, depending on their capabilities or the types of securities
traded, such as securities with smaller market capitalizations, foreign securities, or thinly traded
securities, NBIA will at times trade certain equity strategies away from the Program Sponsors or
designated brokers more frequently, which could result in a material percentage of equity
transactions being executed with brokers other than the Program Sponsors or designated brokers.
NBIA frequently executes transactions with broker-dealers other than the Program Sponsors or
designated brokers for fixed income transactions because fixed income securities are traded in
dealer markets and Program Sponsors and designated brokers may be limited in their ability to
act as principal in client transactions. In addition, trading away from the Program Sponsor or
designated brokers allows NBIA to aggregate orders across clients’ accounts, including the
accounts of the Program Clients, in an effort to obtain more favorable execution than might
otherwise be available if orders were not aggregated. The use of block trades could also assist in
potentially avoiding an adverse effect on the price of a security that could result from
simultaneously placing a number of separate, successive or competing client orders. Other
considerations for trading away from the Program Sponsors or designated brokers include, but
are not limited to, less price dispersion, access to inventory, speed of execution, and the ability to
allocate investment and trading opportunities across all Program Client accounts included in a
block trade on a fair and equitable basis.
NBIA is not in a position to negotiate commission rates with the Program Sponsors on behalf of
Wrap Program Clients, or to monitor or evaluate the commission rates being paid by Wrap
Program Clients or the nature and quality of the services they obtain from the Program Sponsors.
NBIA is also limited in its ability to influence the trade execution quality and the nature and quality
of the services (including custodial and/or accounting services) that Wrap Program Clients obtain
from the Program Sponsor. Furthermore, if the Program Sponsor or designated broker is not on
NBIA’s approved list of brokers, the Wrap Program Client could potentially be subject to additional
counterparty credit and settlement risk than if NBIA was able to place orders with other brokers.
NBIA endeavors to treat all Program Clients fairly in the execution of client orders.
When NBIA chooses to trade away from the Program Sponsors or designated brokers and execute
trades through broker-dealers other than the Program Sponsors or designated brokers, while
NBIA does not charge or receive any additional fees or commissions, the Program Clients or Dual
Contract Clients will generally incur transaction-related charges, which include mark-
ups/concessions built into fixed income transaction prices due to the over-the-counter nature of
the market, which include electronic trading platform fees, and fees associated with foreign
securities transactions, which are in addition to the bundled fee or the Program Sponsor’s or
designated broker’s brokerage fee paid by each Program Client or Dual Contract Client. Some
9
Program Sponsors or designated brokers also impose trade-away fees on transactions traded
away through broker-dealers other than the Program Sponsors or designated brokers. Please refer
to Item 5.C for a further description of additional execution and other costs that are incurred by
Program Clients or Dual Contract Clients. Clients that enroll in Wrap Programs, Unbundled
Programs, or Dual Contract Programs should satisfy themselves that the Program Sponsors or
designated brokers are able to provide best execution of transactions and that any bundled fee or
brokerage fee is appropriate given the nature of the investment strategy and extent of expected
transactions affected through the Program Sponsor or designated broker.
“Model Portfolio Programs”
NBIA also participates in non-discretionary Wrap Programs or Unbundled Programs as a model
portfolio provider; provided, in one Sponsor’s model delivery program, we are deemed to have
discretion, but with respect to security selection in the model. In those Programs, NBIA furnishes
investment advice and recommendations to the Program Sponsors or their designee through the
). Unless NBIA has discretion, NBIA
provision of model portfolios (
does not consider itself to have an advisory relationship with Program Clients of the Program
Sponsor in a Model Portfolio Program. If the Form ADV Part 2A, Part 2B, and/or Form CRS are
delivered to Program Clients with whom NBIA does not have an advisory relationship, or where
they are not legally required to be delivered, they are provided for informational purposes only.
Some Program Sponsors use NBIA’s model portfolios and updates, either alone or together with
other model portfolios, to manage the accounts of the Program Clients, although the Program
Sponsors retain investment discretion over the accounts. NBIA is responsible solely for providing
its model portfolios to the Program Sponsors of Model Portfolio Programs or their designees and
the Program Sponsor or designated broker is responsible for executing portfolio transactions for
the accounts of the Program Clients. NBIA is not deemed to be a “sponsor” or a “manager” as those
terms are defined in Investment Company Act Rule 3a-4 with respect to the services it provides
to the Model Portfolio Programs.
The services provided by each of NBIA and the Program Sponsors may vary and are described in
the Program Sponsors’ disclosure materials and the contracts Program Sponsors have with their
Program Clients. Certain Program Sponsors charge NBIA platform-related fees that are associated
with technology, including onboarding and maintenance, data or marketing and education
resources. The range and applicability of the platform-related fees depend on the particular
program utilized, the level of services, and the particular Program Sponsor. The platform-related
fees are paid out of NBIA’s own resources. A Program Sponsor may have an incentive to select
NBIA for participation in the program for NBIA agreeing to pay those fees to the Program Sponsor.
NBIA does not generally communicate directly with Program Clients (including communications
with respect to changes in a Program Client’s investment objectives or restrictions), and all
communications generally must be directed through the Program Sponsor. Also, NBIA does not
provide overall investment supervisory services to Program Clients. NBIA is not in a position to
determine and is not responsible for determining the suitability of, or eligibility (including any
applicable investor qualifications) to participate in, any Program for a Program Client or the
suitability of any investment strategies available under the Program with respect to Program
Clients.
Please refer to Section 5.I(2) of Schedule D of Part 1A of NBIA’s Form ADV for a full list of the Wrap
Programs in which NBIA participates. Retail clients that are Dual Contract Clients should also
review NBIA/NBBD’s Form CRS, which is available at http://www.nb.com/form_CRS_nbia_nbbd/
10
E. Assets under Management
Discretionary Amounts:
Non-Discretionary Amounts:
Date Calculated:
$ 395,036,058,282
$ 3,613,853,177
12/31/2025
11
Fees and Compensation
Item 5:
A. Fee Schedule
1. Separate Accounts
NBIA’s standard fee schedules for Separate Accounts are set forth below. See also Item 7 for
minimum account size requirements. The fees payable to NBIA for Separate Accounts are
generally based on a percentage of the market value of the assets held in the Separate Account.
Some Separate Accounts are subject to minimum annual fees. In limited circumstances, NBIA also
provides investment management services to a Separate Account for a fixed fee. NBIA negotiates
the Separate Account standard fee schedules from time to time for certain accounts based on a
variety of factors including the account size, investment objectives, whether or not the Separate
Account involves a Multi-Asset Strategy Mandate and the type and number of other accounts a
client has with NBIA, including other accounts with affiliates of NBIA. Also, certain strategies do
not have standard fee schedules but are individually negotiated based on a variety of factors
including the portfolio manager or group managing the account, account size and investment
objectives. There are also differences in fees paid by certain clients based on (i) account inception
dates, including clients who became clients as the result of an acquisition or “lift-out” of a firm or
investment personnel by NBIA, or whose accounts are managed or serviced by individuals or
teams who have joined NBIA through such an acquisition or lift-out and (ii) arrangements with
the client’s third-party intermediary or consultant. Additionally, some Separate Account clients
are billed on fee schedules that are no longer offered. Those schedules are not otherwise available
to new or other existing clients of NBIA. In certain limited circumstances, Institutional Account
fee schedules are also offered to non-Institutional Account clients. Further, Neuberger Wealth
Account clients who have assets managed by the portfolio management groups for Institutional
Accounts will generally be subject to Neuberger Wealth Account fee schedules, and vice versa.
Moreover, certain Neuberger Wealth Accounts that are serviced by, introduced to, or that obtain
access to, NBIA or NBIA products by or through other entities, such as third-party broker-dealers
and investment advisers, are generally subject to varying types and degrees of client services
directly from such other entity and consequently some of those accounts are subject to a NBIA fee
schedule that provides for lower fees than NBIA’s published fee schedules for the same products
serviced directly by NBIA.
The billing for certain strategies is based on notional exposure for the Client Account. In addition,
the management and billing for certain options strategies are based on target notional
exposure/value. The target notional exposure/value is often higher or lower than the actual
notional exposure for the Client Account. In addition, options strategies can be implemented on
an overlay basis. In those cases, the assets serving as collateral for the option strategies are held
outside of the Client Account in which the options strategies are implemented. Accordingly,
Clients should be aware that those assets are generally invested in managed investment products
and strategies, including products and strategies of NBIA or its affiliates, which themselves are
subject to fees and expenses that are separate and distinct from, and in addition to, the fees and
12
expenses for the Client Account, including any fees assessed for the Client Account that are based
upon the target notional exposure/value for the Client Account.
In some instances, based upon particular facts and circumstances and, as permitted by applicable
law, NBIA as a courtesy will, in its sole discretion, permit “family billing” arrangements, where the
account values of two or more related accounts are combined for the purpose of reducing the
overall fees paid by the clients. With respect to existing Separate Account clients that convert to
an investment through the Wealth Advisory Program, the “family billing” calculation will
generally take into account a discount to the Wealth Program Client’s fees that reflects the Wealth
Program Client’s existing effective fee rate at the time of the conversion. For those Wealth
Program Clients, the discount will not apply to the investment strategy fee of any strategy in which
the Wealth Program Client’s assets are invested thereafter. For Neuberger Wealth Accounts, any
“family billing” arrangement is non-contractual and NBIA is permitted to terminate or change the
arrangement at any time. Because “family billing” would result in a Separate Account client paying
lower fees to NBIA, and NBIA and its employees are generally compensated based on the revenues
generated by NBIA and its affiliates with respect to its clients, this creates an incentive for NBIA
and its employees to limit “family billing” arrangements or to combine accounts in a manner that
limits the reductions of fees.
NBIA will, in its sole discretion, reduce or waive fees (including minimum annual fees) or apply a
different fee schedule for certain of its Separate Account clients, including employees and affiliates
of the Firm and certain clients who invest in new strategies or products at the initial launch.
Some Neuberger Wealth Accounts will include Client-Directed Transactions, which are generally
not included in the valuation of the Client Account for purposes of calculating the advisory fee
payable to NBIA.
i.e.,
For Neuberger Wealth Accounts, clients generally enter into agreements where advisory services
are provided by NBIA and brokerage services are provided by NBBD. Certain of the fee schedules
below assume that the clients have entered into such agreements and consented to the use of
NBBD as broker for the accounts. Generally, those accounts are billed an “all-inclusive” fee that
captures NBIA’s investment management and NBBD’s brokerage fees. In those cases, no separate
fees are charged by NBIA or its affiliates for brokerage transactions in the account other than
Client-Directed Transactions and, where applicable, ADR conversion fees or pass-through fees.
There are a limited number of existing Neuberger Wealth Accounts for which advisory services
are provided by NBIA and brokerage services are provided by NBBD where clients are subject to
advisory fees pursuant to a customized fee schedule that are not “all-inclusive” (
the accounts
will pay separate brokerage commissions and other execution and transaction-related costs). See
Item 5.C.
Alternatively, clients who have Neuberger Wealth Accounts can engage NBIA solely for the
provision of investment advisory services. In those instances, the accounts will pay separate
brokerage commissions and other execution and transaction-related costs, as charged by the
third-party intermediary. Clients with arrangements with third-party intermediaries should
review their contracts with the intermediaries and the disclosures provided to them to understand
the fees and costs to which the client will be subject. Similarly, Institutional Accounts generally
13
engage NBIA solely for the provision of investment advisory services and pay separate brokerage
commissions and other execution and transaction-related costs.
Plan Clients
Non-Plan Clients
i.e.,
In some cases, consistent with NBIA’s fiduciary duties and certain exemptions on which NBIA may
rely with respect to Plan Clients, Neuberger Wealth Account clients that are subject to Title I of
”) are subject to different fees than clients that
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (“
are not subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (“
”). For example,
certain fee schedules for Neuberger Wealth Accounts have different fee rates for equity and fixed
income securities (
“balanced” fee schedules), including those Neuberger Wealth Accounts
subject to Schedule E below. Where that is the case, Plan Clients are charged the rates provided in
the schedule based on the account’s target allocation to equity per the account’s equity investment
goal, as selected by the Plan Client, while Non-Plan Clients are charged the rates provided in the
schedule based on the account’s actual allocation. (For Non-Plan Clients subject to balanced fee
schedules, only assets that have been designated for permanent investment in fixed income
securities will be subject to the fixed income fee rate. Accordingly, cash and cash equivalents that
are not held for permanent investment in fixed income securities will be subject to the equity fee
rate.)
Similarly, Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program are subject to different
fee schedules than Non-Plan Clients. Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory
Program pay a single tiered retirement fee that does not vary based on the underlying investment
strategies and is based on the risk profile selected by the Plan Client. Non-Plan Clients that invest
through the Wealth Advisory Program are subject to an investment advisory fee and the
investment strategy fees applicable to the strategies in which they invest.
and
IRA Accounts, which
are
available
The differing fee schedules can result in certain conflicts of interest and issues that present the
appearance of a conflict of interest. For example, with respect to the Wealth Advisory Program,
because Plan Clients are charged a single tiered retirement fee that does not vary based on the
underlying investment strategies and Non-Plan Clients are charged an investment strategy fee that
varies by strategy, where a client’s assets includes both Plan Client assets and Non-Plan Client
assets, there is an incentive for NBIA and its advisory personnel to allocate Non-Plan Client assets
to strategies with higher fees and Plan Client assets to strategies with lower fees in order to
maximize revenues for NBIA and compensation for the NBIA advisory personnel, which would
result in increased overall fees for the client. In addition, for Plan Client accounts, because NBIA
receives a single fee that does not vary based on the underlying investment strategies, but bears
the advisory costs of the strategies in which the Plan Client assets are allocated, NBIA has an
incentive to encourage NBIA advisory personnel to allocate Plan Client assets to proprietary
strategies and to strategies with lower advisory costs. On the other hand, NBIA has an incentive
to encourage NBIA advisory personnel to allocate Plan Client assets to non-proprietary strategies
because NBIA would be compensated without having to spend the resources or effort to manage
the underlying portfolio. See also Item 11.D.7 and NBIA’s Fiduciary Recommendation Disclosure
at https://www.
for Covered ERISA
nb.com/fiduciary_disclosure_nbia/.
NBIA charges Performance Fees (as defined below) on some of its Separate Accounts, subject to
eligibility requirements under the Advisers Act and other applicable laws. Performance Fee
14
Performance Fees
arrangements for Separate Accounts are negotiated with the client. Generally, those arrangements
include a base fee calculated as a percentage of the market value of the assets held in the Separate
Account plus a Performance Fee based on the account’s performance over a specified time period.
The specific structure of the Performance Fee varies. NBIA also charges Performance Fees in
connection with certain of the Private Investments in which Neuberger Wealth Account clients are
” includes any
invested. See also Item 6. As used herein, the term “
performance-based fee or allocation, including carried interest allocations.
Pursuant to, and in accordance with, the relevant investment advisory agreement, NBIA’s fees for
Neuberger Wealth Accounts can be modified from time to time upon advance written notice to the
applicable Client(s).
The standard annual fee rates for the Separate Accounts are set forth below:
a. NEUBERGER WEALTH ACCOUNTS2
(See also Item 7 for information relating to minimum account requirements for Neuberger Wealth
Accounts.)
Schedule E*
Type of asset in the account
Advisory Fee
For accounts with a market value of less than $10
•
million
•
•
•
For common stocks, convertible bonds,
convertible preferred shares, cash, cash
equivalent mutual funds, and all other
managed assets of the account not being
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
1.500% of the first $2.5 million of market value;
1.400% of the next $2.5 million;
1.300% of the next $2.5 million; and
1.200% of the next $2,499,999
For accounts with a market value equal to or
•
greater than $10 million
•
1.250% of the first $10 million of market value;
and
0.900% of the balance
•
0.375% of the market value
The minimum quarterly fee for the above accounts is $1,875
For cash equivalents and managed assets
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
2
For the balanced fee schedules indicated below with an asterisks (*) (i.e., where the account can
be invested in both equity and fixed income), Plan Clients are charged the rates set forth based on
the account’s target allocation to equity per the account’s EIG, as selected by the Plan Client.
15
Schedule F*
Type of asset in the account
Advisory Fee
For accounts with a market value of less than $10
•
million
•
1.750% of the first $5 million of market value;
and
1.500% of the next $4,999,999
For common stocks, convertible bonds,
convertible preferred shares, cash, cash
equivalent mutual funds, and all other
managed assets of the account not being
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
For accounts with a market value equal to or
•
greater than $10 million
•
1.600% of the first $10 million of market value;
and
1.250% of the balance
•
0.375% of the market value
The minimum quarterly fee for the above accounts is $2,500
For cash equivalents and managed assets
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
Schedule 400/401/425*
Type of asset in the account
Advisory Fee
For accounts with a market value of less than $10
•
million
•
•
•
For common stocks, convertible bonds,
convertible preferred shares, cash, cash
equivalent mutual funds, and all other
managed assets of the account not being
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
1.500% of the first $2.5 million of market value;
1.400% of the next $2.5 million;
1.300% of the next $2.5 million; and
1.200% of the next $2,499,999
For accounts with a market value equal to or
•
greater than $10 million but less than $35 million
•
1.250% of the first $10 million of market value;
and
0.900% of the next $24,999,999
For accounts with a market value equal to or
•
greater than $35 million
•
•
•
•
1.250% of the first $10 million of market value;
0.900% of the next $25 million;
0.750% of the next $65 million;
0.600% of the next $50 million; and
0.450% of the balance
•
0.375% of the market value
The minimum quarterly fee for the above accounts is $1,875
For cash equivalents and managed assets
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
16
Schedule 491/492*
Type of asset in the account
Advisory Fee
For accounts with a market value of less than $10
•
million
•
•
•
For common stocks, convertible bonds,
convertible preferred shares, cash, cash
equivalent mutual funds, and all other
managed assets of the account not being
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
1.500% of the first $2.5 million of market value;
1.400% of the next $2.5 million;
1.300% of the next $2.5 million; and
1.200% of the next $2,499,999
For accounts with a market value equal to or
•
greater than $10 million
•
1.250% of the first $10 million of market value;
and
0.900% of the balance
•
0.750% of the market value
The minimum quarterly fee for the above accounts is $1,875
For cash equivalents and managed assets
held for permanent investment in fixed
income securities
3
3
Non-Standard Fee Schedules (Limited Customization)
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
Equity Strategies
Fixed Income Strategies
Overlay Strategies
3
0.100%-1.20% of market value
0.120%-0.650% of market value
0.600%-0.800% of market value or target
notional value
3
The current fee schedule for any specific strategy is available upon request and will be provided
to Client prior to investment therein.
17
GPS – Total Portfolio Solutions (TPS) Fee Schedule
Type of asset in the account
Advisory Fee
•
in
the account
•
All assets
including
Affiliated Registered Funds, cash and cash
equivalents
•
•
•
1.400% if the market value is less than
$500,000;
1.300% if the market value is $500,000 or
greater but less than $1 million;
1.200% if the market value is $1 million or
greater but less than $5 million;
1.100% if the market value is $5 million or
greater but less than $10 million; and
1.000% if the market value is $10 million or
greater
Wealth Advisory Program Fee Schedule for Non-Plan Clients
0.300% -0.600% of market value
The annual investment advisory fee and investment strategy fee rates for Non-Plan Clients that
Wealth Advisory Program – Investment Advisory Fee
invest through the Wealth Advisory Program are set forth below.
•
Wealth Advisory Program – Investment Strategy Fees
Investment Strategy Fees – Proprietary Separate Accounts
4
4
•
•
•
Neuberger Equity Strategies
Neuberger Fixed Income Strategies
Neuberger Overlay Strategies
Investment Strategy Fees – Third-Party Separate Accounts
4
0.300%-0.800% of market value
0.100%-0.500% of market value
0.600%-0.800% of market value or target
notional value
Investment Strategy Fees –Registered Funds, Semi-Liquid Private Funds, and CITs (and
4
Up to 1.000% of the market value/target notional value, as established by NBIA
Non-U.S. Registered Funds, where applicable)
The indirect fees and expenses incurred as an investor in the applicable Registered Funds,
Semi-Liquid Private Funds, or CITs (and Non-U.S. Registered Funds, where applicable), as
provided in the offering materials for the relevant fund
Wealth Advisory Program Fee Schedule for Plan Clients
The annual all-in retirement fee rates for Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory
Program are generally based on the risk profile selected by the client. The fees range from
0.350%-0.600% for more income-oriented profiles and 0.800%-1.400% for more growth-
oriented profiles.
4
The current Investment Strategy Fee schedules for any specific Separate Account strategy are
available upon request.
18
For a detailed discussion of conflicts of interest relating to the fees charged by NBIA to retail
clients, please see NBIA’s Conflict Disclosures, which are available at http://www.nb.com
/conflicts_disclosure_nbia/.
b. INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTS
All Cap Core
All Cap Intrinsic Value
China A Share
CLO (AAA)
CLO (AA/A)
CLO Mezzanine Debt (BBB/BB/B)
CLO Equity
Climate Transition
Commodities
Core Bond
(See also Item 7 for information relating to minimum account requirements for Institutional
Accounts.)
Advisory Fee
Strategy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.80% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million;
0.60% of the next $50 million; and
0.50% of the balance
1.00% of the first $1 million of market value;
0.75% of the next $4 million;
0.625% of the next $10 million; and
0.50% of the balance
0.90% of the market value of all assets
0.20% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.15% of the next $250 million; and
0.10% of the balance
0.35% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.30% of the next $50 million; and
0.25% of the balance
0.70% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $50 million; and
0.50% of the balance
1.40% of the first $50 million of market value;
1.25% of the next $50 million; and
1.00% of the balance
0.15% of the first $250 million of market value;
0.14% of the next $250 million; and
0.12% of the balance
0.85% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $50 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.23% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.18% of the next $150 million;
0.15% of the next $250 million; and
0.12% of the balance
19
Strategy
Core Plus
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
•
Corporate Hybrid
Crossover Credit
Diversified Currency
Diversified Currency High Alpha
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.28% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.20% of the next $150 million;
0.17% of the next $250 million; and
0.14% of the balance
0.60% of the market value of all assets
0.45% of the first $100 million of market value;
and
0.35% of the balance
0.20% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.17% of the next $50 million; and
0.15% of the balance
0.70% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $50 million;
0.55% of the next $50 million; and
0.45% of the balance
0.45% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.40% of the next $150 million; and
0.35% of the balance
Emerging Markets Debt – Asia Hard
Currency
Emerging Markets Debt – Corporate
Emerging Markets Debt - Hard
Currency
Emerging Markets Debt - Local
Currency
Emerging Markets Debt - Blend
Emerging Markets Debt- Short
Duration
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Emerging Markets Equity
0.55% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.50% of the next $150 million; and
0.45% of the balance
0.45% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.35% of the next $150 million; and
0.25% of the balance
0.90% of the market value
Emerging Markets PutWrite (ATM)
Enhanced Cash
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.65% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.55% of the next $50 million; and
0.45% of the balance
0.175% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.15% of the next $50 million;
0.12% of the next $150 million;
0.10% of the next $250 million; and
0.08% of the balance
20
Strategy
Enhanced Index
Enhanced Mortgages
Passive Corporate
Equity Income
European High Yield
European Investment Grade Credit
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
European Sustainable Equity
Global Sustainable Equity
Global Bond (Unhedged)
Global Equity Megatrends (Fully
Invested)
Global Investment Grade Credit
Global Opportunistic Bond
Global PutWrite (OTM)
Global PutWrite (ATM)
Global Value
International ACW ex-US
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.10% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.08% of the next $100 million;
0.04% of the next $350 million;
0.03% of the next $500 million;
0.0225% of the next $1 billion;
0.02% of the next $500 million; and
0.0175% of the balance
0.60% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.50% of the next $50 million; and
0.40% of the balance
0.55% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $250 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.35% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.25% of the next $250 million; and
0.20% of the balance
0.70% of the first $100 million of market value;
and
0.50% of the balance
0.20% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.18% of the next $150 million;
0.15% of the next $250 million; and
0.12% of the balance
0.80% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.70% of the next $150 million; and
0.60% of the balance
0.40% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.30% of the next $250 million; and
0.25% of the balance
0.35% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.32% of the next $150 million;
0.30% of the next $250 million; and
0.28% of the balance
0.55% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $50 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.45% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.35% of the next $150 million; and
0.30% of the balance
0.80% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million; and
0.50% of the balance
21
Strategy
International All Cap
International Select
Japan Equity (All Cap)
Japan Equity Engagement
Large Cap Disciplined Growth
Disrupters
Large Cap Growth
Large Cap Value
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Liability Driven Investing
Long Duration
Long Government Credit
Long Short Equity
Mid Cap Growth
Mid Cap Intrinsic Value
MLP
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.85% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.70% of the next $25 million; and
0.55% of the balance
0.80% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million;
0.50% of the next $150 million; and
0.45% of the balance
0.75% of the market value of all assets
1.00% of the market value of all assets
0.65% of the first $35 million of market value;
0.40% of the next $65 million;
0.30% of the next $100 million; and
0.25% of the balance
0.60% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.50% of the next $50 million; and
0.40% of the balance
0.65% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.60% of the next $50 million;
0.50% of the next $150 million; and
0.45% of the balance
0.05% additional on each tier for ESG-integrated
accounts
0.30% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.25% of the next $100 million;
0.20% of the next $100 million; and
0.15% of the balance
0.90% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.80% of the next $100 million; and
0.70% of the balance
0.80% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million;
0.60% of the next $50 million; and
0.50% of the balance
0.75% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million;
0.60% of the next $50 million; and
0.50% of the balance
0.75% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $50 million; and
0.55% of the balance
22
Strategy
Global Multi-Asset Absolute Return
Global Multi-Asset Relative Return
Multi-Asset Income
Multi-Cap Opportunities
Municipal – Cash /
Short Duration
Municipal – Intermediate /
Long Duration
Multi-Sector Credit
Passive Index
Passive Government
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.75% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $150 million; and
0.55% of the balance
0.55% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $150 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.80% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.70% of the next $150 million; and
0.65% of the balance
0.25% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.15% of the next $25 million;
0.10% of the next $150 million; and
0.08% of the balance
0.30% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.25% of the next $50 million;
0.20% of the next $100 million; and
0.10% of the balance
0.53% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.48% of the next $150 million;
0.43% of the next $250 million and
0.38% of the balance
0.08% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.065% of the next $100 million;
0.032% of the next $350 million;
0.025% of the next $500 million;
0.018% of the next $1 billion;
0.016% of the next $500 million; and
0.014% of the balance
0.45% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.35% of the next $250 million; and
0.30% of the balance
Preferred & Capital Securities Strategy
(Financial Hybrids)
Preferred & Income Strategy
(Financial Hybrids)
Investment Grade Private Credit
REIT
Research Opportunities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.25% of the book value of all assets
0.75% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million;
0.55% of the next $100 million; and
0.50% of the balance
0.25% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.20% of the next $50 million; and
0.15% of the balance
23
Strategy
Risk Balanced Global Equity
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
Risk Parity
•
•
•
•
5
Risk Premia – 5% Volatility
Risk Premia – 10% Volatility
Russell 2000 Strangle
S&P 500 Strangle
•
•
5
S&P 500 Iron Condor
5
S&P 500 PutWrite (OTM)
S&P 500 PutWrite (ATM)
Senior Floating Rate Loans
Short Duration
Short Duration High Yield
Global High Yield
U.S. High Yield
Short Duration Strategic Multi-Sector
Fixed Income
Small Cap
Small Cap Growth
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.55% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $25 million;
0.35% of the next $150 million; and
0.30% of the balance
0.45% of the first $100 million of market value;
and
0.35% of the balance
0.40% of the market value of all assets
0.75% of the market value of all assets
0.60% of the first $100 million of market value;
and
0.50% of the balance
0.50% of the first $100 million of market value;
and
0.45% of the balance
0.40% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.35% of the next $50 million; and
0.30% of the balance
0.55% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $250 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.20% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.15% of the next $50 million;
0.12% of the next $150 million;
0.10% of the next $250 million; and
0.08% of the balance
0.55% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $250 million; and
0.35% of the balance
0.25% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.20% of the next $150 million;
0.15% of the next $250 million; and
0.10% of the balance
1.00% of the market value of all assets
1.00% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.80% of the next $25 million; and
0.70% of the balance
5
These strategies are also offered as overlay strategies. Those fee schedules are the same except
that the advisory fee is calculated based on the target notional value rather than the market
value.
24
Strategy
Small Cap Intrinsic Value
Small Mid Cap
Small Map Concentrated
Strategic Multi-Sector Fixed Income
Sustainable Equity
Multi-Factor Equity – Emerging
Markets
Multi-Factor Equity – World
Systematic Large Cap Value
Core Equity
Large Cap Core
TIPS
Total Return Bond
U.S. Investment Grade Credit
Long Credit
U.S. PutWrite (ATM)
Advisory Fee
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1.00% of the first $20 million of market value;
0.85% of the next $20 million;
0.80% of the next $20 million; and
0.75% of the balance
0.80% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.70% of the next $50 million; and
0.65% of the balance
0.45% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.40% of the next $150 million;
0.35% of the next $250 million; and
0.30% of the balance
1.00% of the first $10 million of market value;
0.65% of the next $25 million; and
0.40% of the balance
0.80% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.70% of the next $25 million;
0.65% of the next $150 million; and
0.55% of the balance
0.55% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.45% of the next $25 million;
0.35% of the next $150 million; and
0.30% of the balance
0.65% of the first $25 million of market value;
0.50% of the next $25 million;
0.40% of the next $50 million;
0.30% of the next $100 million; and
0.25% of the balance
0.15% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.10% of the next $200 million; and
0.08% of the balance
0.28% of the first $100 million of market value;
0.20% of the next $150 million;
0.17% of the next $250 million; and
0.14% of the balance
0.35% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.25% of the next $250 million; and
0.20% of the balance
0.45% of the first $50 million of market value;
0.40% of the next $50 million; and
0.35% of the balance
25
2. PRIVATE FUNDS
NAV
Pursuant to NBIA’s investment management agreement with each Private Fund, NBIA will receive
a management fee that is generally calculated based on (i) the net asset value (“
”) of each
investor’s account in the Private Fund; (ii) each investor’s net investment amount (which is
generally calculated based on an investor’s contributions less distributions and is not based on
capital appreciation or depreciation in an account); (iii) the value of each investor’s aggregate
commitment to the Private Fund; or (iv) the investor’s share of the net or gross asset values (or
other value, determined as set forth in the applicable Offering Document) of the underlying
investments of the Private Fund (including, where applicable, Portfolio Funds). Certain closed-
end Private Funds calculate the management fee differently depending on whether the Private
Fund is in its investment period or its harvesting period, using the methodologies described above.
The management fee for Private Funds generally ranges from 0.00%-1.50% annually.
In some instances, NBIA or its affiliate (generally in its capacity as the GP Entity of the Private
Fund) will also receive a Performance Fee (which is often in the form of an incentive allocation or
carried interest) for Private Funds whose investors are eligible to enter into a performance fee
arrangement under the Advisers Act. For a typical open-end Private Fund that charges
Performance Fees, the Performance Fees are generally up to 20% of net profits for the applicable
performance period. For a typical closed-end Private Fund, Performance Fees are generally up to
20% of distributions and in many instances after 100% of the aggregate capital contributions have
been paid back to the investors plus a specified return in accordance with a waterfall schedule
(which may be calculated on the distributions from the Private Fund as a whole or the
distributions from each underlying investment) as described in the Offering Documents.
Performance Fees can be subject to one or more of a “high-water mark,” “catch-up,” “hurdle” (or
“preferred return”), or “clawback.” See Item 6 for additional disclosure regarding various
Performance Fees structures.
Wealth Access Fee
For certain Private Funds, in addition to management fees and Performance Fees, Neuberger
Wealth Account clients will be subject to a Private Fund-level fee paid to NBBD for placement and
”). The Wealth Access Fee is described in the Offering
onboarding services (“
Documents of the applicable Private Funds.
Management fees, Performance Fees, and Wealth Access Fees (where applicable) for Private Funds
are negotiable under certain circumstances. NBIA or a Private Fund’s GP Entity customarily
retains discretion to waive, rebate or calculate differently the management fees, Performance
Fees, and Wealth Access Fees (where applicable) as to all or any of the investors in the Private
Fund, including affiliates and employees of the Firm. For a limited number of Private Funds, a
portion of the management fee or the Performance Fee will be paid to one or more anchor
investors.
Investors should refer to the Offering Documents of the relevant Private Fund for further
information with respect to fees.
26
3. Affiliated Registered Funds
a. Affiliated Mutual Funds
Each Affiliated Mutual Fund has entered into an investment management agreement with NBIA.
Pursuant to each investment management agreement, NBIA receives an advisory fee at a specified
rate equal to a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets. In addition, NBIA has entered into
an administration agreement with each Affiliated Mutual Fund. Administration fees are based on
a percentage of each fund’s average daily net assets. The annual advisory fee rate for each Affiliated
Mutual Fund is negotiated with and approved by each fund’s Board of Trustees and is set forth
Please note the full name of each mutual fund listed below (except for the AMT Funds) begins with
below:
the prefix “Neuberger.”
Equity Funds
Genesis Fund
Intrinsic Value Fund
Small Cap Growth Fund
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
0.850% of the first $250 million;
0.800% of the next $250 million;
0.750% of the next $250 million;
0.700% of the next $250 million;
0.650% of the next $13 billion; and
0.600% in excess of $14 billion
0.850% of the first $250 million;
0.800% of the next $250 million;
0.750% of the next $250 million;
0.700% of the next $250 million; and
0.650% in excess of $1 billion
0.550% of the first $250 million;
0.525% of the next $250 million;
0.500% of the next $250 million;
0.475% of the next $250 million;
0.450% of the next $500 million;
0.425% of the next $2.5 billion; and
0.400% in excess of $4 billion
•
Equity Income Fund
Focus Fund
Large Cap Growth Fund
International Select Fund
Large Cap Value Fund
Mid Cap Growth Fund
Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Fund
Quality Equity Fund
Emerging Markets Equity Fund
0.750%
27
Equity Funds
Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund
International Equity Fund
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Real Estate Fund
0.600% of the first $250 million;
0.575% of the next $250 million;
0.550% of the next $250 million;
0.525% of the next $250 million;
0.500% of the next $500 million;
0.475% of the next $2.5 billion; and
0.450% in excess of $4 billion
0.850% of the first $250 million;
0.825% of the next $250 million;
0.800% of the next $250 million;
0.775% of the next $250 million;
0.750% of the next $500 million;
0.725% of the next $1 billion; and
0.700% in excess of $2.5 billion
0.800%
28
AMT Funds
Mid Cap Growth Portfolio
Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Quality Equity Portfolio
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Short Duration Bond Portfolio
Income Funds
Core Bond Fund
0.550% of the first $250 million;
0.525% of the next $250 million;
0.500% of the next $250 million;
0.475% of the next $250 million;
0.450% of the next $500 million;
0.425% of the next $2.5 billion; and
0.400% in excess of $4 billion
0.170% of the first $2 billion; and
0.150% in excess of $2 billion
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
•
•
•
0.180% of the first $2 billion; and
0.150% in excess of $2 billion
0.400%
Floating Rate Income Fund
Strategic Income Fund
High Income Bond Fund
Municipal High Income Fund
Municipal Impact Fund
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Municipal Intermediate Bond Fund
0.480%
0.400% of the first $500 million;
0.375% of the next $500 million;
0.350% of the next $500 million;
0.325% of the next $500 million; and
0.300% in excess of $2 billion
0.250% of the first $500 million;
0.225% of the next $500 million;
0.200% of the next $500 million;
0.175% of the next $500 million; and
0.150% in excess of $2 billion
0.140%
Alternative Funds
Long Short Fund
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1.200% of the first $250 million;
1.175% of the next $250 million;
1.150% of the next $250 million;
1.125% of the next $250 million;
1.100% of the next $500 million;
1.075% of the next $2.5 billion; and
1.050% in excess of $4 billion
29
From time to time, NBIA will determine to waive all or a portion of its fee or reimburse an
Affiliated Mutual Fund for certain expenses. The rates of those waivers or reimbursements are
set forth in each Affiliated Mutual Fund’s Registration Statement.
b. Affiliated ETFs
Each Affiliated ETF has entered into an investment management agreement with NBIA. Pursuant
to the investment management agreement for Disrupters ETF, NBIA receives a management fee at
a specified rate equal to a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets for providing
investment management and administrative services to Disrupters ETF. Pursuant to the
investment management agreement for each Affiliated ETF (other than Disrupters ETF), NBIA
receives an advisory fee at a specified rate equal to a percentage of each fund’s average daily net
assets. In addition, NBIA has entered into an administration agreement with each Affiliated ETF
(other than Disrupters ETF). Administration fees are based on a percentage of each fund’s average
daily net assets. The annual management fee rate and the advisory fee rate, as applicable, for each
Affiliated ETF are negotiated with and approved by each Affiliated ETF’s Board of Trustees and
Please note the full name of each ETF listed below begins with the prefix “Neuberger.”
are set forth below:
ETFs
Advisory Fee (based on average daily
net assets)
China Equity ETF
Commodity Strategy ETF
Core Equity ETF
Disrupters ETF
Emerging Markets Debt Hard Currency ETF
Energy Transition & Infrastructure ETF
Flexible Credit Income ETF
Growth ETF
International Core Equity ETF
Japan Equity ETF
Option Strategy ETF
Short Duration Income ETF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Small-Mid Cap ETF
Total Return Bond ETF
0.60%
0.50% of the first $250 million;
0.475% of the next $250 million;
0.450% of the next $250 million;
0.425% of the next $250 million;
0.400% of the next $500 million;
0.375% of the next $2.5 billion; and
0.350% in excess of $4 billion
0.30%
Management fee of 0.65%
0.50%
0.55%
0.40%
0.47%
0.20%
0.60%
0.41%
0.17% of the first $2 billion; and
0.15% in excess of $2 billion
0.51%
0.28%
From time to time, NBIA will determine to waive all or a portion of its fee for managing the
30
Closed-End Funds
Affiliated ETFs and/or reimburse an Affiliated ETF for certain expenses. The rates of those
waivers or reimbursements are set forth in each Affiliated ETF’s Registration Statement.
c. Listed
Each Listed Closed-End Fund has entered into a management agreement with NBIA. Pursuant to
each management agreement, NBIA receives an advisory fee at a specified rate equal to a
percentage of the Listed Closed-End Fund’s average daily total assets, minus liabilities other than
the aggregate indebtedness entered into for purposes of leverage (for purposes of this calculation,
the liquidation preference on the Listed Closed-End Fund’s preferred shares, if any, is not a
liability). In addition, NBIA has entered into an administration agreement with each Listed Closed-
End Fund. Administration fees are based on a percentage of average daily total assets, minus
liabilities other than the aggregate indebtedness entered into for purposes of leverage (for
purposes of this calculation, the liquidation preference on the Listed Closed-End Fund’s preferred
shares, if any, is not a liability).
The annual advisory fee rate for each Listed Closed-End Fund is negotiated with the fund’s Board
of Directors and is set forth below:
Funds
Advisory Fee (based on average daily
net assets)
•
•
•
•
•
Municipal Fund Inc.
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Inc.
Real Estate Securities Income Fund Inc.
High Yield Strategies Fund Inc.
Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc.
0.25%
0.75%
0.60%
0.60%
1.00%
d. Registered PE Funds
Each Registered PE Fund has entered into an investment management agreement with NBIA.
Pursuant to each investment management agreement, each Registered PE Fund pays NBIA an
advisory fee at a specified rate equal to a percentage of (i) the value of the investors’ aggregate
commitment to the Registered PE Fund; (ii) the total capital that the Registered PE Fund
contributes to its underlying investments, including cash and cash equivalents; or (iii) the NAV of
the Registered PE Fund as of the preceding quarter end (or month end, as noted below). For some
Registered PE Funds, NBIA or an affiliate of NBIA will also be apportioned carried interest
distributions, which generally range from 5-10% of distributions after investors receive a
specified amount (their capital contributions plus a certain stated amount of aggregate
distributions paid to investors) from the Registered PE Fund. For NB Private Markets Access Fund
LLC, NBIA is entitled to receive an incentive fee each quarter equal to 10% of the difference, if
positive, between (i) the net profits of the fund for the relevant period, and (ii) the then-current
balance, if any, of the fund’s loss recovery account.
The annual advisory fee or management fee rate for each Registered PE Fund is negotiated with,
and approved by, the fund’s Board of Managers/Directors and is set forth below:
31
Registered PE Funds
Advisory Fee
•
•
NB Private Markets Access Fund LLC
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund IV
Holdings LLC
•
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund IV
(TE) - Client LLC
•
•
•
7
of total investor commitments in
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund IV
(TI) - Client LLC
•
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund V
Holdings LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund V
(TE) LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund V
(TI) LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund V
(TE) Advisory LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund V
(TI) Advisory LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VI
Holdings LP
•
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VI
LP
1.500% of NAV as of the end of each month
0.100% of total investor commitments in
year 1 following initial closing
0.550% in years 2 through 8
0.300% thereafter
6
0.100%
of total investor commitments in
year 1 following initial closing
0.550% in years 2 through 8
0.300% thereafter
0.100%
year 1 following initial closing
0.550% in years 2 through 8
0.300% thereafter
0.850% of total investor commitments in
years 1 through 8 following initial closing
0.300% thereafter
7
0.850%
of total investor commitments in
years 1 through 8 following initial closing
0.300% thereafter
7
0.850%
of total investor commitments in
years 1 through 8 following initial closing
0.300% thereafter
7
0.850%
of total investor commitments in
years 1 through 8 following initial closing
0.300% thereafter
7
0.850%
of total investor commitments in
years 1 through 8 following initial closing
0.300% thereafter
0.800% of the total capital that NB
Crossroads Private Markets Fund VI
Holdings LP contributes to its underlying
investments, including cash and cash
equivalents (“Invested Capital”) in years 1
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
7
0.800%
of Invested Capital in years 1
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
i.e.,
6
So long as all or substantially all of the assets of the Registered PE Fund are invested in the
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund IV Holdings LLC, NB Crossroads
applicable master fund (
(continued...)
32
•
7
of Invested Capital in years 1
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VI
Advisory LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VII
Holdings LP
•
•
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VII
LP
•
•
•
0.800%
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
0.800% of Invested Capital in years 1
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
7
0.800%
of Invested Capital in years 1
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
7
0.800%
of Invested Capital in years 1
through 8 following initial closing
0.15% thereafter
NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VII
Advisory LP
e. Interval Funds
Each Interval Fund has entered into an investment advisory agreement with NBIA. Pursuant to
each investment advisory agreement, each Interval Fund pays NBIA an advisory fee at a specified
rate equal to a percentage of the average daily value of the Interval Fund’s net assets. NBIA is also
entitled to receive an incentive fee based on income received by the Interval Fund that is equal to
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment
a percentage of the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for each calendar quarter, subject to
Income
a hurdle rate and a “catch-up” feature. For the calculation, “
” means, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees
(other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination,
structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that the Interval Fund (or its wholly-owned
subsidiaries)) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus the Interval Fund’s operating expenses
accrued for the quarter (including the advisory fee, expenses payable under the administration
agreement, and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and
dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred shares, but excluding the incentive fee
and any distribution or shareholder servicing fees). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue
discount, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that the
Interval Fund has not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not
include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or
depreciation. The annual advisory fee rate for each Interval Fund is negotiated with, and approved
by, the fund’s Board of Trustees and is set forth below:
Interval Funds
Advisory Fee (based on average daily net
assets)
Private Markets Fund V Holdings LP, NB Crossroads Private Markets Fund VI Holdings LP, or NB
Crossroads Private Markets Fund VII Holdings LP), the Registered PE Fund will not pay NBIA a
separate fee under the investment advisory agreement. The Registered PE Fund does, however,
due to its investment in the applicable master fund, bear its proportionate percentage of the
advisory fee paid to NBIA by that master fund.
33
•
NB Asset-Based Credit Fund
1.00%
4. SUB-ADVISED ACCOUNTS
a. Third-Party Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds
NBIA’s fees with respect to its services as sub-adviser to each Third-Party Registered Fund and
Non-U.S. Registered Fund are individually negotiated (and, as such, will vary), and are set forth in
its sub-advisory agreement with each fund/investment adviser.
b. Other Sub-Advised Accounts
e.g.,
Sub-advisory fees for other Sub-Advised Accounts are individually negotiated and vary depending
on the account. NBIA’s sub-advisory fees are generally consistent with the basic fee information
Separate Accounts, Private Funds), provided
and terms described above for the type of client (
that some Sub-Advised Accounts are subject to a NBIA fee schedule that provides for lower fees
than NBIA’s published fee schedules for the same products serviced directly by NBIA. NBIA’s
management fees and Performance Fees (if any) with respect to its services as sub-adviser are set
forth in its sub-advisory agreement with each fund/investment adviser.
5. WRAP AND RELATED PROGRAM ACCOUNTS
Wrap Program Clients pay Wrap Sponsors a bundled or “wrapped” fee that typically covers
investment management, trade execution, custodial services and other administrative services.
Of that fee, the Program Sponsors, in turn, pay advisory fees to the sub-adviser, such as NBIA, that
they select to provide portfolio management services with respect to their Wrap Program Clients.
In some cases, Unbundled Program Sponsors offer clients Unbundled Programs where instead of
paying a bundled or “wrapped” fee, clients pay fees on an unbundled basis to separate parties,
including a fee for investment advisory services, which, in turn, is paid to the sub-adviser selected
by the Unbundled Program Sponsor, such as NBIA. NBIA generally negotiates its fees with each
Program Sponsor, subject to varying factors, including the Program Sponsor’s program size and
style, the services performed by the Program Sponsor, and other factors. Subject to those factors,
NBIA’s basic annualized fee schedule for a manager-traded discretionary Program where NBIA
serves as sub-adviser ranges between 0.32% and 1.00% annually with respect to equity
investment strategies, and 0.18% and 0.30% annually with respect to fixed income investment
strategies. In a Model Portfolio Program, NBIA is generally paid a basic annualized fee that ranges
between 0.26% and 0.55% annually with respect to equity investment strategies, and 0.18%
annually with respect to fixed income investment strategies. However, for certain Model Portfolio
Programs, there is no direct fee paid to NBIA; rather, to the extent the relevant Program Sponsor
or its designee invests its clients’ assets in Affiliated Funds or other products advised by NBIA or
its affiliates, NBIA (or its affiliate) will receive the fees paid by those clients with respect to that
product (see Item 10.C.2).
Wrap Program Clients should be aware that services similar or comparable to those provided to
them as participants in Wrap Programs are often available at a higher or lower aggregate cost
34
elsewhere either separately or on an unbundled basis. The overall cost to a Wrap Program Client
that participates in a Wrap Program can be higher than the aggregate cost of paying NBIA’s
standard advisory fee for Separate Accounts, negotiating custody fees with a custodian and
negotiating transaction charges with a broker-dealer payable on a per transaction basis,
depending upon the level of custody fees and the number of securities transactions in the Wrap
Program Client’s account. However, typically Wrap Program Clients would not be eligible (due to
the size of their accounts) for NBIA’s Separate Account management services and, therefore, could
not otherwise have their assets separately managed by NBIA. NBIA does not undertake any initial
or ongoing responsibility to assess for any Wrap Program Client the value of the services provided
by the Wrap Sponsor.
To the extent a Program Client has authorized the Program Sponsor to arrange for payment of the
advisory fees owed to NBIA, the Program Client is subject to the billing policies and procedures of
the Program Sponsor. Dual Contract Clients and certain Program Clients may be subject to the
billing policies and procedures that NBIA follows with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, but
should review their contracts with the Program Sponsors or designated brokers and/or NBIA and
available disclosures to confirm that the billing arrangements disclosed by the Program Sponsor
or designated broker for their accounts do not vary from NBIA’s billing policies and procedures
for Neuberger Wealth Accounts. In both cases, where the Program Sponsor’s or designated
broker’s billing policies and procedures apply, it is possible that the Dual Contract Client or
Program Client will be subject to fees that vary from those of a similarly situated client that is
billed directly by NBIA for the same services, including fees on account contributions.
6. NON-DISCRETIONARY SERVICES
For Non-Discretionary Accounts, NBIA generally receives either a fee based on a percentage of the
market value of assets held in the account (which, in general, are consistent with the standard fee
schedules described above for Separate Accounts) or a fixed fee.
B. Payment Method
Calculation and Payment of Fees:
Separate Accounts—
For Neuberger Wealth Accounts, advisory fees are typically charged
quarterly, in advance, at the beginning of each calendar quarter, based on the market value (or
notional value or target notional value, where relevant) of the client’s account(s) on the last
business day of the previous calendar quarter. For Institutional Accounts, fees are generally
accrued and paid either in arrears or in advance on a quarterly basis, as provided in the contract
between NBIA and the Institutional Account client. Performance Fees and minimum annual fees,
if any, are generally charged on an annual basis.
Qualified Custodian
Payment of fees for Separate Accounts are either made through a debit to the client’s account(s)
at the bank, trust company, broker-dealer or other qualified custodian (“
”)
or are made upon invoice, which fees are generally due within 30 days of the date of the invoice.
35
In general, Neuberger Wealth Account clients contractually agree to allow NBIA to debit any fees
from their accounts. At the client’s request, NBIA will send the client an informational statement
of the fees due each quarter. NBIA generally invoices Institutional Account clients for fees
incurred.
During a quarter or other fee calculation period, if NBIA begins managing an account, or an account
is terminated, the fee charged for that period will be pro-rated based on the portion of the period
that NBIA actually managed the account. If advisory or management fees are charged in advance,
the Separate Account client will receive a pro-rated refund of any pre-paid fees if the investment
advisory agreement is terminated before the end of the billing period. Unless otherwise agreed
with the Separate Account client, for Separate Accounts that are billed quarterly in advance, fees
are typically not adjusted to reflect contributions to, and withdrawals from, the accounts, changes
in EIGs for Plan Clients, or, with respect to the Wealth Advisory Program, changes in risk profiles
Private Funds—
for Plan Clients, within the relevant quarter.
Generally, management fees or advisory fees, as applicable, are charged monthly,
quarterly, or semi-annually and Performance Fees are charged at, or payable as of, the end of each
Private Fund’s fiscal year, upon withdrawal by an investor from a Private Fund or at the time a
Private Fund makes distributions. The management/advisory fees and Performances Fees are
generally deducted directly from each Private Fund investor’s capital account or payable from
capital calls or distribution proceeds. However, certain Private Funds provide that an investor will
be billed outside of the Private Fund at the option of the investor. Investors should refer to the
Affiliated Registered Funds—
applicable Offering Documents with respect to the calculation and payment of fees.
.
NBIA’s advisory fees or management fees, as applicable, are paid to
NBIA by each Affiliated Registered Fund in accordance with the investment management
agreement entered into by NBIA and the Affiliated Registered Fund, as negotiated with the
Affiliated Registered Fund’s Board of Trustees/Directors/Managers. For all Affiliated Registered
Funds except the Registered PE Funds and Interval Funds, the fees are accrued daily and deducted
monthly or quarterly, as applicable, directly from the Affiliated Registered Funds’ custodial
For the Registered PE Funds, the advisory fees are calculated as of the last business day
account
of the prior quarter and are due and payable in arrears after the end of that quarter. For the
Interval Funds, the advisory fees are calculated and are due and payable in arrears after the end
of each month. Performance Fees with respect to the Registered PE Funds (other than NB Private
Markets Access Fund LLC), if any, will generally not be paid until after certain anniversary dates,
as discussed in the relevant fund’s Registration Statement. Performance Fees with respect to NB
Private Markets Access Fund LLC and the Interval Funds, if any, will generally be paid at the end
Sub-Advised Accounts—
of each calendar quarter.
Third-Party Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds
— NBIA’s sub-advisory fees
are paid by each investment adviser to NBIA in accordance with the investment sub-
advisory agreement entered into by NBIA and the adviser. NBIA’s sub-advisory fees are
negotiated with the Third-Party Registered Fund’s or Non-U.S. Registered Fund’s
investment adviser or Board of Trustees/Directors/Managers.
36
Other Sub-Advised Accounts
e.g.,
Wrap and Related Program Accounts—
– Payment of fees varies depending on the type of account but
in general is consistent with the basic fee information and terms described above for the
type of client (
Separate Accounts, Private Funds).
Each Program Sponsor generally pays NBIA either in
arrears or in advance, as provided in the contract between NBIA and the Program Sponsor. NBIA
does not generally invoice Program Clients. Typically, each Program Sponsor calculates and pays
NBIA its fees from fees the Program Sponsor receives from the Program Clients. NBIA does not
generally establish the value of securities held in Program Client accounts, which is a function
provided by third parties such as the Program Sponsors or designated brokers. Dual Contract and
certain Program Clients may be subject to the billing and valuation practices and procedures that
NBIA follows with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, but should review their contracts with
the Program Sponsors or designated brokers and/or NBIA and available disclosures to confirm
that the billing and valuation practices and procedures of the Program Sponsors or designated
brokers for their accounts do not vary from NBIA’s billing and valuation practices and procedures
Non-Discretionary—
for Neuberger Wealth Accounts.
Payment of Non-Discretionary Account fees varies but in general is consistent
Valuation for Fee Calculation Purposes
with the basic fee information and terms described above for Separate Accounts.
:
Separate Accounts, Non-Discretionary Accounts, and Sub-Advisory Accounts (excluding Private
Funds, Affiliated Registered Funds, Non-U.S. Registered Funds and Third-Party Mutual Funds)—
In
general, advisory or management fees for Separate Accounts, Non-Discretionary Accounts, and
Sub-Advisory Accounts (excluding Private Funds, Affiliated Registered Funds, Non-U.S. Registered
Funds and Third-Party Mutual Funds) are based on a valuation of assets by NBIA or the applicable
Qualified Custodian. When the client and NBIA agree to use NBIA’s valuation of the assets for fee
purposes, NBIA will generally use independent third-party pricing services or broker quotes to
value assets. In certain cases, including with respect to Private Investments or investments where
a third-party price is not available, NBIA will use its fair valuation procedures to determine a value
for the investment. As NBIA’s compensation is generally based on the NAV of an account, a conflict
arises when NBIA, rather than a third-party, is valuing the assets held in an account. To mitigate
that conflict, NBIA has adopted methodologies designed to result in securities valuations that in
its judgment reflect the market prices of the securities at that time. In those instances, there is no
guarantee that the market prices will be obtained. Advisory or management fees can be based on
the market value of the assets as of the trade date or the settlement date. In certain cases,
securities that can only be priced by NBIA are not included in the value of Client Accounts for
billing purposes. For the investment grade private credit strategy, the book value of the assets is
used for fee purposes unless otherwise agreed between NBIA and the client.
In determining the market value of assets, the total market value of securities purchased on
margin is included. This will result in higher advisory or management fees than would otherwise
be charged to the client if no margin debit existed in the account. Accounts are also charged
interest on margin debit balances at NBIA’s posted rate. In addition, as described in Item 5.A.1,
where options strategies are implemented on an overlay basis, the assets serving as collateral for
37
the option strategies are generally invested in managed investment products and strategies,
including products and strategies of NBIA or its affiliates, which themselves are subject to fees
and expenses. The fees for certain options strategies are based on target notional exposure/value,
which is often higher or lower than the actual notional exposure for the Client Account.
In addition, in determining the market value of assets, cash and cash equivalents are generally
included and accrued dividends and interest can be included (and are generally included for
Neuberger Wealth Accounts).
The market value of assets held in Separate Accounts that invest in Third-Party Separate Accounts,
Third-Party Portfolio Funds or other third-party strategies is primarily based on NAV as reported
by the relevant Third-Party Portfolio Manager or other relevant third party. With respect to
Neuberger Wealth Accounts, Client-Directed Transactions are generally not included in the
Private Funds—
valuation of the Client Account for purposes of calculating the advisory fee payable to NBIA.
Generally, management fees or advisory fees, as applicable, are based either on (i)
the NAV of the Private Fund (or of each Private Fund investor’s capital account in the Private
Fund), (ii) each investor’s net investment amount (which is generally calculated based on an
investor’s contributions less distributions and is not based on capital appreciation or depreciation
in an account), (iii) the value of each investor’s aggregate commitment to the Private Fund, or (iv)
the investor’s share of the net or gross asset values (or other value, determined as set forth in the
applicable Offering Document) of the underlying investments of the Private Fund (including,
where applicable, Portfolio Funds). Performance Fees are generally based on net profits or
distribution amounts and are subject to certain conditions as further described in Item 5.A.2, Item
6 and the applicable Offering Documents. Securities held by Private Funds are valued on the basis
of pricing information provided by independent pricing services acceptable to NBIA and the
administrator of the Private Fund. If such pricing services are not available, broker quotes could
be used. Any securities or other assets for which third party prices are not available or for which
the GP Entity or its delegate believes the third-party prices do not reflect fair value, which can
include Private Investments, are based upon fair-value as determined by the GP Entity, or its
delegate, which could be NBIA. With respect to Private Funds that invest in Portfolio Funds or
Separate Accounts, the value of such investments is generally based on the value as reported by
the relevant Portfolio Manager. Investors should refer to the applicable Offering Documents for
more information with respect to the valuation of Private Fund assets.
Affiliated Registered Funds (other than Registered PE Funds), Third-Party Registered Funds and Non-
U.S. Registered Funds—
Fees
are calculated as a percentage of the net assets of each fund. The
value of each fund’s net assets is determined in accordance with each fund’s valuation policies and
procedures adopted by the fund’s Board of Trustees/Directors. Those policies are generally
described in the relevant funds’ Registration Statement.
Registered PE Funds—
Management and advisory fees are calculated based on (i) the value of the
investors’ aggregate commitment to the Registered PE Fund; (ii) the investor’s share of the total
capital that the Registered PE Fund contributes to its underlying investments, including cash and
cash equivalents; or (iii) the NAV of the Registered PE Fund as of last business day of the prior
period. Each Registered PE Fund’s assets will be valued at their fair market value as determined
38
in accordance with each fund’s valuation policies and procedures adopted by the funds’ Boards of
Directors/Managers. Those policies are generally described in the relevant funds’ Registration
Statement.
Wrap and Related Program Accounts—
NBIA does not generally establish the value of securities
held in Wrap Program accounts or Unbundled Program accounts. Valuation is a function provided
by third parties such as the Program Sponsors or designated brokers.
Dual Contract and certain Program Clients may be subject to the valuation practices and
procedures that NBIA follows with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, but should review their
contracts with the Program Sponsors or designated brokers and/or NBIA and available
disclosures to confirm that the valuation practices and procedures of the Program Sponsors or
designated brokers for their accounts do not vary from NBIA’s valuation practices and procedures
for Neuberger Wealth Accounts. In determining the market value of assets, cash and cash
equivalents and accrued dividends and interest are generally included.
C. Other Fees and Expenses
In addition to the management or advisory fee and Performance Fee, if any, paid to NBIA, clients
pay other fees and expenses associated with their accounts and investments, including the
Custodial Fees and Expenses—
following:
Separate Account, Sub-Advisory Account and Non-Discretionary
Account clients who elect to have account assets held in the custody of a Qualified Custodian
selected by the client will bear any custodial fees and expenses associated with its account.
Custody of the assets of a Private Fund will be maintained with a Qualified Custodian selected by
NBIA or an affiliate, in its exclusive discretion. Each Private Fund ordinarily bears its custodial
fees and expenses. To the extent that cash is held in those accounts and fees are charged by the
Qualified Custodian, including any fees chargeable for short-term reinvestment of cash, the fees
so incurred by the client will be in addition to the fee payable to NBIA on the overall value of the
Transaction-related Fees and Expenses—
account. See Item 15.
Client Accounts
generally must bear all transaction-
related fees and expenses, including brokerage commissions, concessions, dealer mark-ups and
spreads for transactions effected for the account. See also Item 5.E, Item 11.B.3 and Item 12.A.
Subject to the applicable investment advisory agreement, certain Client Accounts will bear any
legal expenses related to certain types of securities transactions in the account.
The majority of Neuberger Wealth Account clients consent to the use of NBIA’s registered broker-
dealer affiliate, NBBD, as broker-dealer for securities transactions for their account. Where NBIA
provides advisory services, those accounts generally pay NBIA one all-inclusive fee that covers
investment management fees, trade execution, custodial services and other administrative fees
(see Item 5.A.1). Neuberger Wealth Account clients who do not consent to the use of NBBD as
broker-dealer and most Institutional Accounts generally must pay a separate brokerage fee to a
third-party broker for all securities transactions effected for the account, as well as other
39
execution and transaction-related costs charged by the applicable intermediary. See also Item 5.E,
Item 11.B.3 and Item 12.A.
With respect to Wrap Program Client accounts, Unbundled Program Client accounts, Dual
Contract Client accounts, or Separate Account clients whereby (i) the client either pays a bundled
fee that includes execution for client transactions by a designated broker, or (ii) the client has
entered into an arrangement with a third-party intermediary whereby the client is assessed
specific commission rates or transaction-related charges by a designated broker for all
transactions, NBIA (and, with respect to the Separate Accounts that invest through the Wealth
Advisory Program, the Third-Party SMA Provider (as defined below) and the applicable third-
party discretionary managers) will generally seek to execute equity transactions through the
Program Sponsor or the designated broker, subject to its obligation to seek best execution (See
item 12.A “Directed Brokerage; Selection of Brokers” for additional information on the use of
Program Sponsor or other designated broker). It is anticipated that the majority of equity
transactions effectuated by NBIA (or, with respect to the Separate Accounts that invest through
the Wealth Advisory Program, the Third-Party SMA Provider and the applicable third-party
discretionary managers) will be executed through the Program Sponsor or designated broker.
When trades are executed through the Program Sponsors or designated brokers, the bundled fee
paid by each Wrap Program Client, or brokerage fee agreed to by the Unbundled Program Client
or Dual Contract Client and the Program Sponsor or the designated broker, as applicable, typically
covers all brokerage commissions and execution costs on the trades. However, depending on the
capabilities of the Program Sponsor or designated broker or the types of securities traded, such
as securities with smaller market capitalizations, foreign securities, or thinly traded securities,
NBIA (or, with respect to the Separate Accounts that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program,
the Third-Party SMA Provider and the applicable third-party discretionary managers) will trade,
at times, certain equity strategies away from the Program Sponsor or designated broker more
frequently, which could result in a material percentage of equity transactions being executed with
brokers other than the Program Sponsor or designated broker. NBIA (or, with respect to the
Separate Accounts that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program, the Third-Party SMA
Provider and the applicable third-party discretionary managers) frequently executes transactions
with a broker other than the Program Sponsor or designated broker for fixed income transactions
because fixed income securities are traded in dealer markets and Program Sponsors and
designated brokers may be limited in their ability to act as principal in client transactions. In
addition, trading away from the Program Sponsor or designated broker allows NBIA to aggregate
orders across clients’ accounts, including the accounts of the Program Clients, in an effort to obtain
more favorable execution than might otherwise be available if orders were not aggregated. The
use of block trades could also assist in potentially avoiding an adverse effect on the price of a
security that could result from simultaneously placing a number of separate, successive or
competing client orders. Other considerations for trading away from the Program Sponsors or
designated brokers include, but are not limited to, less price dispersion, access to inventory, speed
of execution, and the ability to allocate investment and trading opportunities across all Program
Client accounts included in a batch trade on a fair and equitable basis.
NBIA is not in a position to negotiate commission rates with the Program Sponsors on behalf of
Wrap Program Clients, or to monitor or evaluate the commission rates being paid by Wrap
Program Clients or the nature and quality of the services they obtain from the Program Sponsors.
40
NBIA is also limited in its ability to influence the trade execution quality and the nature and quality
of the services (including custodial and/or accounting services) that Wrap Program Clients obtain
from the Program Sponsor. Furthermore, if the Program Sponsor or designated broker is not on
NBIA’s approved list of brokers, the Wrap Program Client could potentially be subject to additional
counterparty credit and settlement risk. NBIA endeavors to treat all Program Clients fairly in the
execution of client orders.
When NBIA (or, with respect to the Separate Accounts that invest through the Wealth Advisory
Program, the Third-Party SMA Provider and the applicable third-party discretionary managers)
chooses to trade away from the Program Sponsor or designated broker and executes trades
through broker-dealers other than the Program Sponsor or designated broker, while NBIA does
not charge or receive any additional fees or commissions, the client will generally incur
transaction-related charges, which include mark-ups/concessions built into fixed income
transaction prices due to the over-the-counter nature of the market, which include electronic
trading platform fees, and fees associated with foreign securities transactions, that are in addition
to the bundled fee paid by each Wrap Program Client or, with respect to Unbundled Program
Clients, Dual Contract Clients or Separate Account clients where the client has negotiated specific
commission rates with an intermediary, the commission rates and transaction related charges
that are assessed by the designated broker. Some Program Sponsors or designated brokers also
Other Fees and
impose trade-away fees on transactions traded away through broker-dealers other than the
Expenses (General)
Program Sponsors or designated brokers. Please refer to Item 4.D and subsection “
” in this Item 5.C for a further description of additional execution and other
costs that are incurred by Wrap Program Clients, Unbundled Program Clients, or Dual Contract
Additional Fees and Expenses Related to the Investments by Separate Accounts and Private Funds in
Clients.
Pooled Investment Vehicles and Separate Accounts—
Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments
Affiliated Portfolio Investments
Subject to the applicable investment
guidelines, the investment advisory agreement or governing documents, as applicable, and
applicable law, it is possible that NBIA can invest a Separate Account or Private Fund in Third-
Party Portfolio Funds (including Third-Party Registered Funds, unaffiliated Private Funds,
unaffiliated CITs, and unaffiliated Non-U.S. Registered Funds) and Third-Party Separate Accounts
(collectively, “
”). Subject to the applicable investment
guidelines, the investment advisory agreement, and applicable law, it is also possible that NBIA
will invest the Separate Account or Private Fund in Affiliated Portfolio Funds (including Affiliated
Registered Funds, affiliated Non-U.S. Registered Funds, Private Funds, and Affiliated CITs) and
Proprietary Separate Accounts (collectively, “
”).
Subject to applicable law and specific policies relating to Plan Clients that are reasonably designed
to manage conflicts of interest in accordance with applicable rules, Separate Accounts and Private
Funds that are invested in Affiliated Portfolio Investments or Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments
could be subject to two levels of fees that are payable to NBIA and its affiliates: (i) the advisory
and other fees associated with the Separate Account or Private Fund and (ii) the
management/advisory and other fees of the underlying Affiliated Portfolio Investment or
Unaffiliated Portfolio Investment. Generally, where the Client Account is subject to two levels of
fees and the underlying investment is an Affiliated Portfolio Investment, the advisory fees
associated with the underlying Affiliated Portfolio Investment will be waived or reimbursed or
41
NBIA will credit the Separate Account or the Private Fund an amount equal to the pro-rata portion
of the management/advisory fee NBIA (or its affiliates) earns from the
Affiliated Portfolio
Investments. Advisory fees associated with the underlying Affiliated Portfolio Investment will not
be waived, reimbursed or credited with respect to certain clients (including certain Wealth
Program Clients and Multi-Asset Strategy Mandate clients), where NBIA charges an advisory fee
that relates to the allocation of the client’s assets among various strategies and products, and
clients are subject to separate and distinct strategy or product fees with respect to the strategies
and products in which the client’s assets are invested (some strategy or product fees will be lower
than the strategy or product fees paid by clients who access the strategy or product directly).
Where permitted by applicable law, Separate Accounts and Private Funds that are invested in
Affiliated Portfolio Investments could also incur other fees and expenses associated with their
investments in the Affiliated Portfolio Investment, which, unless waived, reimbursed or offset by
a credit, can include administrative fees or other non-advisory fees that are paid to NBIA or its
affiliate. With respect to Private Funds and Separate Accounts that invest in Unaffiliated Portfolio
Investments, those underlying Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments will generally be subject to
other fees and expenses, including, as applicable, brokerage and other transaction related costs,
and the fees and expenses of service providers to the Unaffiliated Portfolio Investment, such as
custodians, transfer agents, administrators, valuation agents, auditors and counsel. Moreover, it
is possible that Affiliated Portfolio Investments or Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments will
themselves invest in other funds or products. To the extent it does so, the Private Fund or
Separate Account will be subject to additional layers of fees.
e.g.,
Generally, Non-Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program are subject to an
investment advisory fee and also subject to the fees and expenses of the relevant strategies in
which they are invested (
advisory fees for Separate Accounts (and the fees relating to any
investments in those Separate Accounts) and, for Registered Funds, CITs, Non-U.S. Registered
Funds and Private Funds, as applicable, the fees incurred as an investor in the fund). Fees relating
Fees for Plan Clients Invested through the Wealth Advisory Program
to Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program are set forth under the heading
“
” in this Item 5.C.
and “
in this Item 5.C.
Expenses for Portfolio Funds are generally described in each fund’s Offering Documents and for
Fees to Affiliates in
Other Fees and Expenses for Registered Funds Non-U.S. Registered Funds”
Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds, include those summarized under the heading
the Affiliated Registered Funds
“
Other Fees
” in this Item 5.C. Private Fund expenses are described in each
and Expenses for Private Funds”
Private Fund’s Offering Documents and include those summarized under the heading “
Additional Fees and Expenses Related to Investments in Pooled Investment Vehicles for Wrap
Program Client Accounts, Unbundled Program Client Accounts and Dual Contract Client Accounts.
Subject to the applicable agreement, investment guidelines or applicable law, NBIA may also
invest in Third-Party Registered Funds for Wrap Program Client accounts, Unbundled Program
Client accounts, and Dual Contract Client accounts. While NBIA is not paid any additional fees or
commissions with respect to those investments, the Wrap Program Clients, Unbundled Program
Clients, and Dual Contract Clients will generally incur the management/advisory and other fees of
the underlying Third-Party Registered Fund in addition to the bundled fee or the Program
Sponsor’s or designated broker’s program fee paid by each Program Client or Dual Contract Client.
42
Other Fees and Expenses for Clients Invested in the GPS Program.
With respect to the investment
by GPS Program Client Accounts in Affiliated Mutual Funds and Affiliated ETFs, generally, NBIA
will credit the Client Account an amount equal to the pro-rated portion of the advisory fee and
administrative fee NBIA or its affiliate earns from the Affiliated Mutual Fund and Affiliated ETF.
However, clients invested in the GPS Program will bear other expenses described in the applicable
Affiliated Mutual Fund’s or Affiliated ETF’s Registration Statement, which expenses are in addition
Fees for Plan Clients Invested through the Wealth Advisory Program.
to any investment advisory fee charged to the GPS Program Client Account.
With respect to any
investment of the assets of Plan Clients through the Wealth Advisory Program in Registered
Funds, Private Funds, CITs or Non-U.S. Registered Funds (other than Third-Party Registered
Funds, unaffiliated Private Funds, unaffiliated CITs, or unaffiliated Non-U.S. Registered Funds
invested in a Third-Party Separate Account), NBIA will credit the Client Account an amount equal
to the pro-rated portion of the advisory fees (or equivalent) paid by investors in the applicable
fund (to the extent reasonably obtainable by NBIA). (Third-Party Separate Accounts are
restricted from investing Plan Client assets in Affiliated CITs, Affiliated Registered Funds, affiliated
Private Funds, and affiliated Non-U.S. Registered Funds.) In all cases, the indirect fees and
expenses incurred as an investor in the applicable fund will still apply.
Where the advisory fees will be credited by NBIA, (i) to the extent Plan Client is invested in a share
class of a Registered Fund, CIT, or Non-U.S. Registered Fund that does not bear advisory fees (or
other equivalent fee) or the advisory fee (or other equivalent fee) is not reasonably obtainable by
NBIA, no amount will be credited to Plan Client with respect to the Registered Fund, CIT, or Non-
U.S. Registered Fund; and (ii) like other investors in the Registered Fund, CIT, or Non-U.S.
Registered Fund, Plan Clients will bear other expenses described in the applicable fund’s offering
documents, including, unless otherwise credited, any administrative fees, which expenses are in
addition to the retirement fee charged to the Plan Client. It is intended that any investment of the
assets of Plan Clients through the Wealth Advisory Program in CITs (including Affiliated CITs) will
be invested in a share class that does not bear advisory fees. In the event that Plan Client is
invested in a share class of a CIT that bears advisory fees (for example, if a no-advisory fee share
class is not available), NBIA will credit Plan Client an amount equal to the pro-rated portion of the
advisory fees paid by investors in the applicable CIT. However, Client will bear administration
and other expenses described in the CIT’s offering documents, which, for Affiliated CITs, may
include non-advisory fees paid to NBIA or its affiliate. NBIA will use its commercially reasonable
efforts not to engage in any violation of ERISA or engage in a nonexempt prohibited transaction
Additional Fees for Other Services—
that would give rise to excise taxes under Section 4975 of the Code.
e.g.,
Certain NBIA clients are also clients of NBIA’s affiliates and
receive separate advisory or non-advisory services from NBIA’s affiliates. Except in certain
instances (
where otherwise provided in the relevant investment advisory agreement), NBIA
and the affiliate will each charge their usual and customary fees to the client. That could result in
total costs to the client that are higher than the client would have paid had it obtained all services
Other Fees and Expenses for Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds—
from either NBIA or its affiliate alone or from other unrelated brokers and investment advisers.
In addition to the
advisory fees described in this Item 5 above and administration fees described below, investors
43
in the Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds will incur other fees and expenses
associated with their investments in the funds. Those expenses will generally include brokerage
and other transaction-related costs and the fees and expenses of other service providers to these
funds, such as custodians, transfer agents, administrators, valuation agents, trustees/directors,
auditors and legal counsel.
Fees to Affiliates in the Affiliated Registered Funds”
In addition, it is possible that the Registered Funds and Non-U.S. Registered Funds themselves will
invest in other Portfolio Funds as described in each fund’s Offering Documents. To the extent a
Registered Fund or Non-U.S. Registered Fund invests in another Portfolio Fund, it will bear the
costs and expenses associated with an investment in the underlying Portfolio Fund. Please also
see section entitled “
in this Item 5.C, Item 11.B.3
and Item 12 for further discussion regarding NBIA’s brokerage practices.
The Registered PE Funds invest in Third-Party Portfolio Funds, as well as directly in other Private
Equity Securities. Issuers or sponsors of Third-Party Portfolio Funds are typically structured as
partnerships or limited liability companies. Registered PE Funds typically incur fees and expenses
that are charged to investors in the applicable Third-Party Portfolio Funds. The “portfolio-level
fees” charged by a Third-Party Portfolio Fund are in addition to the fees and expenses otherwise
Other Fees and Expenses for Private Funds—
charged or incurred by the Registered PE Fund.
In addition to the other fees and expenses described
in this Item 5.C, Private Funds ordinarily bear all its organizational and operating expenses and,
in some cases, offering expenses (and in some cases, the expenses of the related GP Entity). Those
expenses include administrative fees and expenses; reporting expenses of the Private Fund or
NBIA or its affiliates in connection with its operation of the Private Fund; investment expenses;
insurance expenses; audit and tax preparation and other tax-related fees and expenses; legal and
accounting fees; consulting fees; due diligence expenses; expenses associated with mailing and
reproducing the Offering Documents, any amendments thereto and other communications with
investors, including through electronic portals; travel-related offering and investment expenses;
and expenses relating to the organization, and the operation and winding-up of any special
purpose vehicles. Private Funds also will generally pay any extraordinary and non-recurring
expenses (including any extraordinary legal or litigation expenses and indemnification costs) and
taxes, if any. Investors should refer to the applicable Offering Documents for more information
with respect to the specific fees and expenses payable by an Private Fund. In certain instances,
NBIA will reimburse the Private Fund for certain expenses, including if certain expenses exceed a
Fees to Affiliates in the Affiliated Registered Funds—
capped amount.
In addition to the advisory/management fee
paid to NBIA and its affiliates, NBIA and its affiliates also receive fees for administrative services
for certain of the Affiliated Registered Funds. As administrator, NBIA or its affiliate provides,
among other things, facilities, services, and personnel as well as accounting, record keeping and
other services to Affiliated Registered Funds pursuant to administration agreements. Under each
administration agreement, NBIA or its affiliate also provides certain shareholder, shareholder-
related, and other services that are not furnished by the Affiliated Registered Fund’s shareholder
servicing agent or third-party investment providers. Certain affiliates of NBIA also serve as sub-
adviser to certain Affiliated Registered Funds. As sub-advisers, the NBIA affiliates often provide,
44
in addition to investment advisory services, research and other services to Affiliated Registered
Funds. NBIA also uses certain affiliates in connection with the execution of transactions for the
Affiliated Registered Funds. Please see Item 11.B.3 and Item 12 for a further discussion regarding
NBIA’s brokerage practices.
Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4 under the Investment Company Act, certain Affiliated Registered Funds
may invest in both affiliated and unaffiliated investment companies, including ETFs, in excess of
the limits in Section 12 of the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Where they do so, in addition to the fees and expenses directly associated with the Affiliated
Registered Funds, an investor in an Affiliated Registered Fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds
or that invests in affiliated and unaffiliated registered open-end management investment
companies and ETFs, also indirectly bears the fees of the underlying registered open-end
management investment companies and ETFs in which the Affiliated Registered Funds invests,
which include administrative fees and could include advisory fees paid to NBIA or its affiliates.
The advisory fees charged by NBIA and its affiliates to those investment companies that are part
of the same group of investment companies will be reviewed periodically by the Board of
Trustees/Directors/Managers of each Affiliated Registered Fund to ensure that they are based on
services provided that are in addition to, rather than duplicative of, services provided pursuant to
the advisory agreement of any underlying registered open-end management investment
companies and ETFs in which the Affiliated Registered Fund invests. In those cases, NBIA or its
affiliate generally waives a portion of the Affiliated Registered Fund’s advisory fee equal to (i) the
advisory fee NBIA or its affiliate receives from the underlying Affiliated Registered Fund on those
assets, as described in the applicable Affiliated Registered Fund’s Registration Statement or (ii) for
any underlying Affiliated Registered Fund for which NBIA is paid a unitary management fee (as
opposed to a separate advisory fee and administration fee), the fees paid to NBIA or its affiliates
but excluding the expenses paid by NBIA or its affiliates to third-party service providers of the
affiliated underlying fund. However, unless otherwise waived, the Affiliated Registered Fund (and
its investors) will still be subject to the other expenses of the underlying Affiliated Registered Fund
described in the applicable fund’s Registration Statement, including any administrative fees
(which are generally paid to NBIA and its affiliates).
Other Fees and Expenses (General)—
ADRs
Clients are subject to other fees and expenses (some of which
are retained by NBIA or its affiliate) including, as applicable (i) transfer taxes and any other
applicable taxes; (ii) auction fees; (iii) exchange or similar fees (such as for American Depositary
”)) charged by third parties, including issuers or depositories; (iv) fees charged
Receipts (“
in connection with short sale transactions; (v) margin interest and fees for any securities that are
deemed hard to borrow in connection with long/short strategies; (vi) mutual fund sales charges,
including front-end and contingent deferred sales charges; (vii) electronic fund, wire, and other
account transfer fees; (viii) commission charges for transactions in ordinary securities; (ix) dealer
spreads, mark-ups or other charges by executing broker-dealers (including on fixed-income, non-
U.S. securities, ADRs or other over-the-counter transactions) or spreads; (x) odd-lot differentials
fees/expenses; (xi) distribution and shareholder servicing fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 Plans, as
described in Item 5.E below; (xii) fees and expenses relating to check-writing services including
check fees, fees for bounced checks and fees for copies of checks; (xiii) fees and expenses relating
to debit cards including ATM fees, cash advance fees and surcharges; and (xiv) any fees or other
charges imposed or mandated by law. Each of the additional fees and expenses are generally
45
charged to the client’s account or reflected in the price paid or received for a given security or
other asset.
Clients who elect to trade on margin will enter into a separate agreement directly with the clearing
agent. Clients should refer to the agreement with their clearing agent for all terms and conditions
of the margin arrangement, including all related fees and expenses.
Comparable Services—
NBIA believes that the charges and fees offered for its investment
management services are competitive with those of alternative programs available through other
firms offering a similar range of services; however, lower fees for comparable services are likely
to be available from other sources.
Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program and the GPS Program should be aware
that the costs of directly accessing the products available through the Wealth Advisory Program
and the GPS Program would generally be lower than the cost of accessing them through the
Wealth Advisory Program and GPS Program.
Wrap Program Clients should be aware that services similar or comparable to those provided to
them as participants in Wrap Programs are often available at a higher or lower aggregate cost
elsewhere either separately or on an unbundled basis. The overall cost to a Wrap Program Client
that participates in a Wrap Program can be higher than the aggregate cost of paying NBIA’s
standard advisory fee for Separate Accounts, negotiating custody fees with a custodian and
negotiating transaction charges with a broker-dealer payable on a per transaction basis,
depending upon the level of custody fees and the number of securities transactions in the Wrap
Program Client’s account. However, typically Wrap Program Clients would not be eligible (due to
the size of their accounts) for NBIA’s Separate Account management services and, therefore, could
not otherwise have their assets separately managed by NBIA. NBIA does not undertake any initial
or ongoing responsibility to assess for any Wrap Program Client the value of the services provided
by the Wrap Sponsor.
D. Prepayment of Fees and Refunds
Separate Accounts—
As described in Item 5.B,
advisory fees for Neuberger Wealth Accounts are
generally paid in advance. Advisory fees for Institutional Accounts are paid either in arrears or in
advance, as provided in the contract between NBIA and the Institutional Account client. Separate
Account clients who pay advisory fees in advance are entitled to pro-rata reimbursement of that
portion of the quarterly (or other fee calculation period) advisory fee paid for any portion of the
quarter (or other fee calculation period) remaining as of the date the investment advisory
relationship terminates; provided, however that clients are generally responsible for any
transaction costs, as applicable, related to the unwinding of transactions in connection with the
termination of the Separate Account. Unless otherwise agreed with the Separate Account client,
for Separate Accounts that are billed quarterly in advance, fees are typically not adjusted to reflect
contributions to, and withdrawals from, the Client Account, credits with respect to certain
strategies or investments, changes in EIGs for Plan Clients, or, with respect to the Wealth Advisory
Program, changes in risk profiles for Plan Clients, in the relevant quarter.
46
Private Funds—
Investors should refer to the applicable Offering Documents for information
Sub-Advised Accounts—
regarding payment of fees, withdrawal/redemption and refund of fees (if applicable).
In the event NBIA is terminated as sub-adviser, any prepaid fees will be
refunded according to the type of account and sub-advisory agreement.
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
– Each Program Sponsor generally pays NBIA on a
quarterly basis, either in arrears or in advance, as provided in the contract between NBIA and the
Program Sponsor. If paid in advance, the fees would be refunded on a pro-rata basis in the event
NBIA is terminated from managing a Program Client’s account.
NBIA’s participation as a manager in discretionary Wrap Programs or Unbundled Programs, or
engagement to provide advisory services with respect to particular Program accounts, typically
can be terminated by the Program Sponsors or by NBIA either at any time or after a predetermined
notice period. In addition, Program Clients can indirectly terminate NBIA as the investment
manager of their assets by terminating their relationship with the Program Sponsors, ending their
participation in the Programs, or requesting that their assets be managed by another Program
investment manager. NBIA’s participation in non-discretionary Programs as a model portfolio
provider typically can be terminated either at any time, or after a predetermined notice period, by
NBIA or the Program Sponsors. In each case, however, termination rights vary, so Program Clients
and Program Sponsors should refer to the agreements governing their programs.
Dual Contract and certain Program Clients may be subject to the billing and valuation practices
and procedures that NBIA follows with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, but should review
their contracts with the Program Sponsors or designated brokers and/or NBIA and available
disclosures to confirm that the billing and valuation practices and procedures of the Program
Sponsors or designated brokers for their accounts do not vary from NBIA’s billing and valuation
practices and procedures for Neuberger Wealth Accounts. For terminated Dual Contract Program
accounts, the procedures for reimbursement for prepaid fees and transactions costs related to the
unwinding of the accounts that NBIA follows with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts would
generally apply, but Dual Contract Clients should review their contracts with NBIA and with the
Non-Discretionary Accounts Services—
Program Sponsors or designated brokers and available disclosures to confirm.
Payment of Non-Discretionary Account fees varies but,
in general, is consistent with the basic fee information and terms described above for Separate
Accounts.
E. Sales Compensation
Neuberger Salespersons
NBIA’s products and strategies are marketed by the Firm’s salesforce (the members of the Firm’s
”), which also markets the products and strategies of
salesforce, the “
NBIA’s affiliates. Certain Neuberger Salespersons are registered representatives of NBBD, an
FINRA
affiliate of NBIA and a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer and member of the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“
”). Subject to applicable law, certain Neuberger
Salespersons are entitled to a sales commission or other compensation if NBIA or its affiliate is
engaged to provide investment management services for a client they have introduced to NBIA.
47
Neuberger Salespersons are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Firm sales
compensation plan and contingent compensation program. Generally, Neuberger Salespersons
are compensated, directly or through compensation pools, based, in large part, on the revenues
generated by NBIA and its affiliates with respect to the clients they cover. Certain Neuberger
Salespersons receive a fixed draw rather than commissions for a specified term, and are also
eligible for special payouts when assets under management reach certain targets.
From time to time, and subject to applicable law, NBIA also retains and compensates unaffiliated
financial intermediaries and other third parties as independent contractors to assist in
introducing Separate Account and Sub-Advised Account clients. In that capacity, the third-party
promoter is authorized to recommend, solicit, approve, support, discuss or describe experiences,
or engage in other promotional activity related to NBIA, its investment advisory services and
personnel that constitutes an “endorsement” or “testimonial” of NBIA, as such terms are defined
under Rule 206(4)-1 under the Advisers Act. The compensation payable to the third-party
promoter is generally a percentage of the management fee paid to NBIA for a specified number of
years, payable to the third-party promoter on the same basis as NBIA is paid. See Item 14.B.
e.g.,
Given that the salespersons (including Neuberger Salespersons) generally market a wide range of
products with differing sales compensation, which can differ by product or strategy, or by the
client or financial intermediary to which the salesperson is selling, the salespersons (including
Neuberger Salespersons) have an incentive to promote or recommend certain products over
others based on the compensation to be received and not on the specific requirements or
investment objectives of the client. Specifically, as the compensation for Neuberger Salespersons
is generally revenue-based, this creates an incentive for Neuberger Salespersons to increase the
amount of assets invested with NBIA and its affiliates. Where a Neuberger Salesperson receives a
fixed draw and is eligible for special payouts upon hitting certain targets, the Neuberger
Salesperson has an incentive to take actions to hit those targets. To increase the amount of assets
invested with NBIA and its affiliates (whether to increase revenue (and therefore compensation)
or to hit certain targets), Neuberger Salespersons have an incentive to promote or recommend
that clients or prospective clients invest more of their money with NBIA and its affiliates, including
by transferring assets from other managers to NBIA for NBIA to manage. Similarly, Neuberger
Salespersons also have an incentive to promote or recommend trading on margin and investing
in overlay strategies. Both of those actions would increase the assets managed by NBIA and,
accordingly, the revenue generated from the client, but meanwhile, increase the amount of money
that the client stands to lose. In addition, because Neuberger Salespersons are compensated
based on the revenues generated by NBIA and its affiliates with respect to its clients, this creates
an incentive for Neuberger Salespersons to promote or recommend products and strategies that
generate more revenue for NBIA and its affiliates, including strategies and products that have
higher fees (
in most cases, Neuberger Salespersons have an incentive to recommend equity
strategies over fixed income strategies), and proprietary strategies and products over non-
proprietary strategies and products.
NBIA and its affiliates train their employees, including Neuberger Salespersons, regarding
suitability and other regulatory standards of conduct in connection with sales of securities and
strategies involving securities to investors, which NBIA believes mitigates this conflict. Neuberger
Salespersons are also generally required to undergo product specific training for all products that
48
they market. See Item 11.D.7 for additional discussion regarding conflicts of interest relating to
compensation arrangements.
From time to time, Neuberger Salespersons also market the advisory products and services of
NBIA and its affiliates for which the Neuberger Salesperson does not receive any direct
compensation. Certain Firm employees who are not Neuberger Salespersons are eligible to earn
an account referral bonus for referring clients to NBIA and its affiliates.
For additional information on the compensation received by certain NBIA personnel, please see
the relevant NBIA Form ADV Part 2Bs. For a detailed discussion of conflicts of interest relating to
the compensation received by Neuberger Salespersons with respect to retail clients, please see
NBIA’s Conflict Disclosures and NBBD’s Conflict Disclosures, which
is available at
http://www.nb.com/conflicts_disclosure_nbia/ and http://www.nb.com/conflicts_disclosure_
nbbd/, respectively.
Placement Agents
NBIA utilizes affiliated and unaffiliated placement agents (and unaffiliated sub-placement agents
”) in offering
and the services of financial intermediaries) (collectively, the “
certain Private Funds and Registered PE Funds to investors. The U.S. Placement Agents, including
NBIA’s affiliate, NBBD, are registered as broker-dealers with the SEC and are FINRA members.
Placement Agents generally receive fees or other compensation with respect to all or certain of
the investors that the Placement Agent refers and introduces. For certain Private Funds,
Placement Agents will receive, with respect to shares or interests placed by the Placement Agent,
a portion of the management fees paid by the Private Fund to NBIA or its affiliate, all or a portion
of fees paid by the Registered PE Fund to NBBD for distribution and shareholder servicing, or such
other compensation as agreed with the Placement Agent. Investors in Private Funds and
Registered PE Funds that are introduced or referred by Placement Agents should carefully review
the applicable documents and information provided to them by the Placement Agent for details
regarding the specific fees or other compensation relating to their investment, including fees or
commissions that are charged directly by the Placement Agent. Accordingly, a Placement Agent
could be influenced by its interest in such current or future fees and commissions, including
differentials in the placement fees that are offered by various fund sponsors. Affiliates and
employees of certain Placement Agents can invest in the Private Funds and Registered PE Funds
on their own behalf. See Item 10.C.1 and Item 14.B.
Rule 12b-1 Plans
The Affiliated Mutual Funds have adopted Rule 12b-1 plans under the Investment Company Act
(“
”) for certain of their share classes. Pursuant to those Rule 12b-1 Plans, NBBD
receives fees that are used to defray the cost of expenses incurred or services rendered in
connection with the sale and marketing of Affiliated Mutual Fund shares or to compensate
affiliated or third-party financial intermediaries for providing distribution-related services or
administrative services to each fund or its shareholders. NBBD also serves as principal
underwriter and distributor for the Affiliated Mutual Funds. For Class A shares of the Affiliated
Mutual Funds, NBBD also receives commission revenue consisting of the portion of the Class A
sales charges remaining after the allowances by NBBD are paid to financial intermediaries. For
Class C shares of the Affiliated Mutual Funds, NBBD also receives any contingent deferred sales
charges that apply during the first year after purchase. Pursuant to its Rule 12b-1 Plan, Affiliated
Mutual Funds pay NBBD for advancing commissions paid to qualified financial intermediaries in
49
Distribution and Servicing Plan
connection with Class C shares. Certain of the Affiliated ETFs have also adopted Rule 12b-1 Plans.
No distribution fees are currently charged to the Affiliated ETFs pursuant to such Rule 12b-1 Plans
and there are currently no plans to impose these fees. Finally, under the terms of SEC exemptive
relief that NB Private Markets Access Fund LLC and the Interval Funds have received to offer
multiple classes of shares, these funds adopted a distribution and servicing plan for each of its
”), and pays the
Class A-1 Shares and Class A-2 Shares (each, a “
Distribution and Servicing Fee with respect to its Class A-1 and Class A-2 Shares. Each Distribution
and Servicing Plan operates in a manner consistent with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment
Company Act.
From time to time, NBBD, NBIA, or their affiliates will pay additional compensation or provide
incentives (out of their own resources and not as an expense of the Affiliated Registered Funds or
Private Funds) to certain brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries in connection with
the sale, distribution, retention or servicing of shares in such funds. Such payments (often referred
to as revenue sharing payments) are intended to provide additional compensation to financial
intermediaries for various services, including participating in joint advertising with a financial
intermediary, granting the personnel of NBBD, NBIA or their affiliates reasonable access to a
financial intermediary’s financial advisers and consultants, placement on a recommended or
preferred fund list, training, due diligence, sales reporting data or information, and allowing such
personnel to attend conferences. It is also possible that NBBD, NBIA, or their affiliates will make
other payments or allow other promotional incentives to financial intermediaries to the extent
permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and by other applicable laws and regulations. The amount of
those payments, which are fixed or variable, is determined at the discretion of NBBD, NBIA, or
their affiliates from time to time, are often substantial, and can be different for different financial
intermediaries.
In certain instances, NBIA has the ability to invest Client Accounts in (or allocate Client Accounts
to) Affiliated Portfolio Investments. NBIA is, therefore, subject to conflicts of interest in selecting
the underlying Affiliated Portfolio Investments because NBIA’s profitability with respect to
Affiliated Portfolio Investments will generally be higher than Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments;
however, as a fiduciary to each Client Account, NBIA is required to act in each Client Account’s best
interest when selecting the underlying investments. To this end, generally, where the Client
Account is subject to two levels of fees, NBIA waives or reimburses the advisory fees for the
Affiliated Portfolio Investment or credits the Client Account an amount equal to the pro-rata
Affiliated Portfolio Investments.
portion of the advisory fee NBIA (or its affiliates) earns from the
However, unless otherwise waived, Client Accounts will still be subject to the other expenses of
the Affiliated Portfolio Investments (which, in certain cases, includes administrative fees and other
fees that are paid to NBIA or its affiliate).
Generally, (i) Neuberger Wealth Accounts, and (ii) other Client Accounts utilizing equity strategies
utilize internal centralized brokerage or advisory trading desks to execute transactions (including
ETFs) with third-party brokers. Client Accounts (other than Neuberger Wealth Accounts)
utilizing fixed income strategies and Client Accounts that are managed or handled by certain
specialized teams are generally sent by the applicable investment team to third-party brokers for
execution.
50
With respect to the Affiliated Registered Funds, such transactions are performed in accordance
with the requirements of Rule 17e-1 under the Investment Company Act. NBIA does not offset its
advisory or sub-advisory fee for the commissions its affiliates receive in connection with such
transactions (note, however, that generally, the advisory fee paid by Neuberger Wealth Accounts
that have consented to the use of NBBD as broker is an all-inclusive fee for brokerage and advisory
services; such Client Accounts will generally not be charged a separate brokerage commission –
see Item 5.A.1). Please see Item 11.B.3 and Item 12 for additional information regarding NBIA’s
brokerage practices.
Certain affiliates of Third-Party Registered Funds, such as the investment adviser to a Third-Party
Registered Fund, are also clients of affiliates of NBIA or are referred to NBIA by its affiliates. The
affiliates of Third-Party Registered Funds can receive investment advisory or other services from
NBIA or its affiliates.
A client can invest in mutual funds, ETFs, and other pooled investment vehicles registered under
the Investment Company Act, including the Affiliated Registered Funds, without the services of
NBIA or its affiliates. With respect to Separate Accounts, clients can elect to use an unaffiliated
broker for their account at any time (Institutional Accounts generally will use unaffiliated
brokers). With respect to Non-Discretionary Accounts, the investment products recommended by
NBIA can generally be purchased by clients through broker-dealers or other investment firms not
affiliated with NBIA.
51
Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Item 6:
Performance Fees are fees that are based on a share of the distributions, NAV or (realized or
unrealized) capital gains or capital appreciation of the assets of a Client Account. Examples of
Performance Fee structures include:
•
•
a carried interest structure (typically used (i) in certain closed-end Private Funds,
(ii) in Registered PE Funds, and (iii) with respect to Private Investments), where
the Performance Fee is calculated as a percentage of distributions (which may be
calculated on the distributions from the fund as a whole or the distributions from
each underlying investment) and can be subject to one or more of a “preferred
return,” “catch-up” or “clawback” (a “preferred return” is the return on the
investors’ investment that needs to be distributed to investors before the GP Entity,
NBIA or its affiliate, as applicable, receives any Performance Fee; a “catch-up”
provides that the GP Entity, NBIA or its affiliate will be entitled to all distributions
(or a higher percentage of distributions) after the preferred return is distributed to
the investors until distributions are split according to a defined percentage
(generally, for Private Funds, 80/20) between the investors and the GP Entity, NBIA
or its affiliate; a “clawback” provides that, ultimately, if the GP Entity, NBIA or its
affiliate receives distributions in excess of the amount it should have received
pursuant to the relevant provisions regarding distribution priority (as set forth in
the applicable Offering Documents or fee schedule, as relevant, often referred to as
the “waterfall” provisions), such excess will be returned to the investors);
•
an incentive fee structure (for NB Private Markets Access Fund LLC) where the
Performance Fee is based on the difference, if positive, between (i) the net profits
of the fund for the relevant period (net profits is (1) the amount by which the net
asset value of the fund on the last day of the relevant period exceeds the net asset
value of the fund as of the commencement of the same period, including any net
change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments and realized
income and gains or losses and expenses plus (2) the aggregate distributions
accrued during the period), and (ii) the then-current balance, if any, of the fund’s
loss recovery account;
•
an income-based incentive fee structure for the Interval Funds where the
Performance Fee is based on the income accrued during the calendar quarter,
minus the Fund’s operating expenses accrued for the quarter, and any interest
expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on
any issued and outstanding preferred shares. The Performance Fee is subject to a
hurdle rate, expressed as a rate of return on the Interval Fund’s net assets, and a
“catch-up” feature.
an allocation structure (typically used in certain open-end Private Funds), where
the Performance Fee is structured as an allocation or fee based on the NAV of the
Private Fund, which can be subject to “hurdles” and “high water marks” (a “high
water mark” provides that the GP Entity receives a Performance Fee only upon
increases in the NAV in excess of the highest NAV previously achieved; “hurdle”
52
•
rates provide that the GP Entity does not earn a Performance Fee until the Private
Fund’s annualized performance or distributions made to investors exceed a
benchmark rate, such as the T-bill yield, the 10 Year U.S. Treasury Note rate, or a
fixed percentage); and
i.e.
a fulcrum fee structure (typically used for certain Separate Accounts), where the
, the
Performance Fee is structured as a management fee adjustment (
Performance Fee is earned at the end of a designated period if the Neuberger
Wealth Account outperforms a benchmark rate, such as a benchmark index or a
fixed percentage, and a Performance Fee rebate is refunded at the end of the
designated period if the Neuberger Wealth Account underperforms a benchmark
rate).
e.g.,
The Performance Fees structures of Sub-Advised Accounts are set forth in NBIA’s sub-advisory
agreement with the relevant fund/investment adviser and are generally consistent with the terms
described above for the type of client (
Separate Accounts, closed-end Private Funds, open-
end Private Funds).
With respect to Wealth Program Clients, it is possible that some of the strategies in which the
Clients invest (including proprietary strategies) will charge Performance Fees. Generally, NBIA
does not charge Performance Fees with respect to its Non-Discretionary Accounts, Wrap Program
accounts, Unbundled Program accounts, Dual Contract Program accounts, Affiliated Registered
Funds (other than Registered PE Funds and Interval Funds) or the Third-Party Mutual Funds it
sub-advises.
In addition, some of NBIA’s portfolio managers are investment advisory personnel of one or more
of NBIA’s affiliated investment advisers. See Item 10.C.3 for a list of such affiliates. In such
capacity, it is possible that they will manage accounts for which the affiliated investment adviser
receives Performance Fees.
To the extent that NBIA and its portfolio managers manage accounts that charge only management
fees as well as accounts that charge both management fees and Performance Fees, NBIA or its
portfolio managers or salespersons have a conflict of interest in that an account with a
Performance Fee will offer the potential for higher profitability when compared to an account
with only a management fee. Performance Fee arrangements generally create an incentive for
NBIA or its portfolio managers or salespersons to recommend or make investments that are
riskier or more speculative than those that would be recommended or made under a different fee
arrangement. Performance Fee arrangements also create an incentive to favor higher fee-paying
accounts over other accounts in the devotion of time, resources and allocation of investment
opportunities. While Performance Fee arrangements can align the interests of NBIA and its
portfolio managers with those of the clients, in situations where Performance Fees are paid when
an investment is realized, a conflict exists because NBIA and its portfolio managers can effectively
determine when they are paid. It is possible that, in order to receive the Performance Fee at a
certain time, NBIA or its portfolio managers will have an incentive to realize an investment other
than at maximum value.
53
To manage those conflicts, NBIA has adopted a number of compliance policies and procedures,
including (i) the Neuberger Code of Ethics (see Item 11), (ii) the NBIA Compliance Manual,
(iii) trade allocation and aggregation policies that seek to ensure that investment opportunities
are allocated fairly among clients and that accounts are managed in accordance with their
investment mandate, and (iv) allocation review procedures reasonably designed to identify unfair
or unequal treatment of accounts. NBIA does not consider fee structures in allocating investment
opportunities. See also Item 11.D.6.
54
Types of Clients
Item 7:
including registered
investment companies, pension plans,
NBIA provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals and institutional
clients,
trusts, charitable
organizations, foundations, endowment funds, corporations, insurance companies, banks, other
financial institutions, other business entities, unregistered investment vehicles, collateralized
loan obligation vehicles, and state and municipal entities and other governmental entities, as well
as individuals. NBIA also serves as an investment adviser or sub-adviser to non-U.S.-domiciled
clients, including non-U.S. investment companies not subject to the Investment Company Act.
Set forth below are the minimum account requirements for NBIA’s accounts:
Institutional Accounts—
Generally,
there is a minimum account size of $25 million for all Equity
Institutional Accounts and $50 million for all Fixed Income Institutional Accounts, except for the
following:
Equity
•
All Cap Intrinsic Value mandates: $500k
•
Mid Cap Intrinsic Value, REIT, Small Cap Intrinsic Value, Sustainable Equity, Large Cap
Core, Large Cap Growth, and All Cap Core mandates: $10 million
•
Global Equity Megatrends (Fully Invested) mandates: $20 million
•
Large Cap Value, Multi-Cap Opportunities mandates: $50 million
•
China Equity mandates: $100 million
Fixed Income
—
•
Emerging Markets Debt
Blend mandates: $150 million
•
—
Crossover Credit, Strategic Multi-Sector Fixed Income, Global Opportunistic Bond, Multi-
—
—
Sector Credit, , Emerging Markets Debt – Asia Hard Currency, , Emerging Markets Debt
—
Hard Currency, Emerging Markets Debt
Local Currency, Emerging Markets Debt
Corporate, and Emerging Markets Debt
Short Duration mandates: $100 million
•
European High Yield mandates: €50 million
•
Municipal – Intermediate / Long Duration, Municipal – Cash / Short Duration, Diversified
Currency, CLO Equity and Diversified Currency High Alpha mandates: $25 million
The minimum account size for the Alternatives and Multi-Asset Strategy Institutional Accounts is
as follows:
55
•
S&P 500 PutWrite (OTM), Global PutWrite (OTM), and Emerging Markets PutWrite (ATM),
Russell 2000 Strangle, S&P 500 Strangle, and S&P 500 Iron Condor mandates: $10 million
•
S&P 500 PutWrite (ATM), U.S. PutWrite (ATM), and Global PutWrite (ATM) mandates: $25
million
•
Risk Parity: $30 million
•
Commodities and Multi-Asset Income mandates: $50 million
—
—
•
5%, Risk Premia
10%, Long Short Equity, Global Multi-Asset Absolute
Risk Premia
Return and Global Multi-Asset Relative Return mandates: $100 million
NBIA also manages customized Institutional Accounts that are designed to meet the specific risk
and return goals, liquidity restraints, factor sensitivity targets and other requirements of its
clients. Customized Institutional Accounts generally have a minimum account size of $100 million.
NBIA can lower an account minimum at its discretion. NBIA can negotiate higher minimum
account sizes for Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates.
Neuberger Wealth Accounts
— The Wealth Advisory Program is typically available to clients
investing a minimum of $5 million. Individual investment strategy accounts are typically available
to clients investing a minimum of $1 million. Certain offerings may be available at lower
investment minimums; for example, GPS Program accounts require a minimum initial investment
of $100,000 with a minimum for subsequent investments of $5,000. NBIA can change or waive
Private Funds—
the minimums for particular clients, including employees of NBIA or its affiliates.
In general, investors in Private Funds must be (1)(a) “accredited investors”
under Regulation D under the Securities Act, and (b) “qualified purchasers” under Section
2(a)(51)(A) of the Investment Company Act or “knowledgeable employees” under Rule 3c-5 of the
Investment Company Act or (2) not “U.S. Persons” as defined under Regulation S of the Securities
Act. Certain Private Funds rely on Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act. The investors
in those Private Funds are not required to be “qualified purchasers” or “knowledgeable
employees”; rather those Private Funds restrict the beneficial ownership of its outstanding
securities to not more than one hundred persons. For Private Funds that charge a Performance
Fee, investors must be eligible to enter into a performance fee arrangement under the Advisers
Act.
The minimum investment required by an investor varies depending on the Private Fund and in
each case is subject to waiver by NBIA or the Private Fund’s GP Entity. Investors should review
the Offering Documents for each applicable Private Fund for further information with respect to
minimum requirements for investment.
Affiliated Registered Funds—
NBIA serves as the investment adviser to the Affiliated Registered
Funds. NBIA also serves as the administrator to the Listed Closed End Funds. Certain Affiliated
Mutual Funds will only be sold to insurance company separate accounts in connection with
variable life insurance contracts and variable annuity certificates and contracts issued by
56
unaffiliated insurance companies and other qualified plans, accounts, funds and investors. Certain
Registered PE Funds will only be sold to investors that are both (a) “accredited investors” under
Regulation D under the Securities Act, and (b) “qualified clients” as defined in Rule 205-3 under
the Advisers Act. The eligibility and minimum investment requirements for the Affiliated
Registered Funds are described in each Affiliated Registered Fund’s Registration Statement.
Sub-Advised Accounts—
.
Minimum account requirements for Sub-Advised Accounts are generally
established by the intermediary investment adviser
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
— The minimum account size will vary by Program, as set
up by the Program Sponsor or designated broker for its Program Clients, but is typically $250,000
for fixed income accounts and $100,000 for equity accounts. In Dual Contract Programs, NBIA
enters into a portfolio management agreement directly with each client. For such Client Accounts,
the standard minimum account size is typically $500,000 for equity strategies and $1 million for
fixed income strategies, each subject to negotiation based on various factors, including NBIA’s
relationship with the client’s Program Sponsor or designated broker.
Non-Discretionary Services—
Generally, the minimum account size for Non-Discretionary
Accounts is consistent with the information described above for Separate Accounts. For certain
Non-Discretionary Accounts, account size will be inapplicable.
57
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 8:
A. Methods of Analyses
Investment Analysis
NBIA’s investment teams employ distinct investment processes that incorporate various methods
of securities analysis, including one or more of the following: charting, cyclical, fundamental,
macroeconomic, analysis of financially material environmental, social and corporate governance
considerations, statistical, technical, qualitative, and quantitative/investment modeling.
•
Charting analysis— involves the use of patterns in performance charts. NBIA uses this
technique to search for patterns used to help predict favorable conditions for buying or
selling a security.
•
Cyclical analysis— involves the analysis of business cycles to find favorable conditions for
buying or selling a security.
•
Fundamental analysis— involves the analysis of financial statements, the general financial
health of companies, or the analysis of management or competitive advantages.
•
Macroeconomic analysis — involves reviewing the domestic or international economies as
a whole, potentially including factors such as historical, present and estimated GDP,
securities markets activity and valuations, and other economic data such as
unemployment, labor force participation, productivity levels, geopolitical issues and
domestic political issues.
•
Analysis of financially material environmental, social and governance considerations —
involves the analysis of factors that are expected to have material implications on
valuation, risk and growth potential. While that analysis is inherently subjective and may
be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other
information, NBIA believes that the consideration of financially material environmental,
social and governance factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, enhances its overall
investment process, and is designed to have a positive effect on the risk/return profile of
client portfolios. The consideration of financially material environmental, social and
governance factors as part of an integrated investment process does not mean that NBIA
pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy for any particular Client
Account, other than as described in Offering Documents or other documents related to
those particular Client Accounts.
•
Statistical analysis— involves the examination of data to draw conclusions or insights, and
determine cause-and-effect patterns between events.
•
Technical analysis— involves the analysis of past market data, primarily price and volume.
58
•
Qualitative analysis— involves the subjective evaluation of non-quantifiable factors such
as the quality of management, labor relations, and strength of research and development,
factors not readily subject to measurement, in an attempt to predict changes to share price
based on that data.
•
Quantitative analysis— uses computer, mathematical, or other types of models to capture
and process data, including market data, industry information, and financial data for
companies, in an attempt to forecast price activity or other market activity that is affected
by that data.
No method of securities analysis can guarantee a particular investment result or outcome and the
use of investment tools cannot and does not guarantee investment performance. The methods of
analysis utilized by NBIA involve the inherent risk that any valuations, pricing inefficiencies, or
other opportunities identified will not materialize or have the anticipated impact on the price of a
security. Prices of securities could rise, decline, underperform or outperform regardless of the
method of analysis used to identify securities. Each method of analysis relies in varying degrees
on information furnished from third-party and publicly available sources. This presents the risk
that methods of analysis will be compromised by inaccurate, incomplete, false, biased or
misleading information. Security prices are impacted by various factors independent of the
methodology used to select securities. For example, a security price can be influenced by the
overall movement of the market, rather than any specific company or economic factors. In
addition, certain methods of analysis, such as the use of quantitative/investment models, involve
the use of mathematical models that are based upon various assumptions. It is possible that
assumptions used for modeling purposes will prove incorrect, unreasonable or incomplete.
Proprietary research is a crucial element of NBIA’s investment process, and is generally a key
component for its investment decisions. NBIA’s research discipline incorporates three broad
steps: (1) understanding market expectations as they are priced, (2) developing its own outlook
against which to evaluate market expectations, and (3) establishing a confidence level in its view
that is supported by thorough fundamental analysis.
Certain Private Funds, Registered PE Funds, and Separate Accounts invest in Third-Party Portfolio
Funds or Third-Party Separate Accounts. In reviewing investment opportunities, NBIA conducts
due diligence and research on the Third-Party Portfolio Managers, the Third-Party Portfolio Funds
and the Third-Party Separate Accounts to satisfy itself as to the suitability of the Third-Party
Portfolio Manager and the terms and conditions of the Third-Party Portfolio Funds and the Third-
Party Separate Accounts. See Item 10.D for additional information regarding the selection of
Portfolio Managers.
The Wealth Advisory Program
With respect to the Wealth Advisory Program and the GPS Program, the third-party strategies and
investment vehicles that are available as investment options are selected and deemed
complementary by NBIA, generally based upon review and due diligence performed by NBIA and
its affiliates (which may take into account due diligence performed by Third-Party SMA Provider,
as further provided herein). See also “
” in Item 8.B.
59
Sources of Information
In conducting its investment analysis, NBIA utilizes a broad spectrum of information, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
e.g.,
•
•
•
•
•
•
annual reports, prospectuses and
filings with the SEC or with non-U.S.
regulators
charts, statistical material and
analyses
contact with affiliated and outside
analysts and consultants
discussions and meetings with
company management and Third-
Party Portfolio Managers
reviews of private corporate
documents (including business plans,
financial records and projections) and
the Portfolio Funds’ legal
documentation
discussions and meetings with NBIA or
third-party research analysts
discussions and meetings with
industry contacts, including existing
relationships and external contacts
established through industry events
and conferences
financial publications, and industry
and trade journals
technology-based internet and data
analytics
issuer press releases, presentations
and interviews (in person or by
telephone)
newspapers, magazines, websites and
social media
personal assessment of the financial
consequences of world events derived
from general information
rating services
research materials prepared by
NBIA’s internal staff or third parties
inspections of issuer activities
reviews of the Portfolio Funds’
operations (
the Portfolio Funds’
control environment, segregation of
duties, trade settlement process,
reporting, cash management, and
disaster recovery plans) and the
Portfolio Funds’ service providers
quantitative tools that assist in
analyzing securities, including
analysis of which securities are likely
to financially benefit or suffer from
changes in weather patterns,
regulation or technology shifts
such other material as is appropriate
under the particular circumstances
NBIA will also rely on the research and portfolio management of its affiliated investment advisers.
See Item 10.C.3.
.
In addition, for certain investment strategies, NBIA has developed or purchased quantitative-
based tools and frameworks that it integrates directly into its investment management process.
Those tools and frameworks are based on fundamental investment concepts and relationships
that are consistent with NBIA’s philosophy
With respect to Private Funds, NBIA evaluates investments based on some of the information
listed above and a variety of other factors as described in the Offering Documents for each Private
Fund.
60
Investments for each Affiliated Registered Fund are identified and selected by NBIA, either
directly or through a sub-adviser. NBIA evaluates investments based on some of the information
listed above and a variety of other factors as described in the Registration Statement for each
Affiliated Registered Fund. For certain Affiliated Registered Funds, investments are identified and
selected by third-party sub-advisers that have been selected by NBIA. It is possible that the
selected third-party sub-advisers will manage one or more sub-portfolios of the overall fund. The
investment methods used by each sub-adviser are monitored by NBIA.
For each Sub-Advised Account, NBIA identifies and selects investments in accordance with the
investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the applicable sub-advisory
agreement.
In researching potential investments for clients, NBIA will collect publicly available data from
websites, purchase consumer transaction data from third-party vendors or otherwise obtain data
from outside sources. Certain websites contain terms of service that prohibit collecting data from
e.g.,
that site. Collecting data from a website that prohibits data collection could lead to civil liability
to the owner of the site for copyright infringement or a similar legal theory of action (
misappropriation) as well as possible criminal law actions. NBIA has adopted Data Collection
Policies and Procedures that are designed to prevent NBIA from collecting data from a website in
a manner that would expose NBIA to liability. Additionally, the data provided to NBIA by a vendor
could include data that the vendor did not have the right to provide to NBIA or could be
inconsistent with privacy laws. If NBIA were provided with such data, NBIA could face liability
for its use of the data in its research. To mitigate this risk, NBIA seeks to obtain representations
from its data vendors that the vendor has the right to transmit the data being provided to NBIA
and that NBIA’s receipt of such data does not violate any laws including privacy laws.
B. Investment Strategies
TM
Below is a summary of NBIA’s investment strategies. Certain client portfolios include customized
investment features that impact the specific investment strategy or strategies implemented for a
particular client, including the allocation within a portfolio to equity or fixed income securities.
As financial markets and products evolve, NBIA will invest in other securities or instruments,
whether currently existing or developed in the future, when consistent with client guidelines,
objectives and policies and applicable law. For certain strategies like the Custom Direct
) strategies and certain options strategies, NBIA delegates the investment
Investment (or CDI
management of those strategies to its affiliate, Neuberger Berman Canada ULC. For additional
information regarding those strategies, please see Neuberger Berman Canada ULC’s Form ADV
Part 2A, available at http://www.nb.com/adv_part_2A_nbc/.
Subject to firm-wide policies on suitability and other regulatory standards of conduct, and
conflicts of interest and compliance with securities laws and regulations, the purchase and sale of
securities and other financial instruments for Client Accounts is based upon the judgment of the
individual portfolio manager or group supervising the particular account.
61
Certain material risks associated with NBIA’s investment strategies are set forth in Item 8.C. This
is a summary only. Clients should not rely solely on the descriptions provided below. The
principal investment strategy for each Private Fund is more particularly described in the Private
Fund’s Offering Documents and the principal investment strategy for each Affiliated Registered
Fund, Non-U.S. Registered Fund and Third-Party Mutual Fund is more particularly described in
the fund’s Registration Statement. Prospective investors should carefully read the applicable
offering document and consult with their own counsel and advisers as to all matters concerning
an investment in any fund.
Fixed Income Strategies
•
NBIA offers advice on a wide range of fixed income securities and other financial instruments
including:
•
•
•
•
•
”)); swaptions;
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
REITs
•
”)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
”)
Corporate debt securities
Other debt securities through private
placements
Preferred securities
Asset-backed securities, including
mortgage-backed securities
Loan assets, including distressed
debt
Rule 144A securities
Convertible bonds
Commercial paper
Certificates of deposit
Money market instruments
Municipal securities
U.S. government securities
Securities of non-U.S. issuers
(including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs)
Sovereign, quasi-sovereign and sub-
sovereign securities
Supranational securities
Warrants
GDP performance linked securities
(also known as GDP warrants)
Put and call options
Inflation-linked securities
ETFs
Securities traded over-the-counter
CLNs
Structured notes, including credit-
linked notes (“
Currencies
Listed and over-the-counter
derivatives, including swaps
(including, without limitation, credit
default swaps, interest rate swaps,
currency swaps, total return swaps,
and commodity swaps); options
contracts (including, without
limitation, options contracts on
securities, futures and commodities
futures); forward contracts
(including deliverable forward
currency contracts and non-
NDFs
deliverable forward currency
contracts (“
futures contracts (including futures
contracts on tangibles and
intangibles, and options thereon);
and other synthetic exposure
instruments
CLOs
Collateralized loan obligations,
”)
including warehouses (“
Residential real estate private credit
Trade claims
Real estate investment trusts
(“
Exchange listed and over the
counter equity securities of U.S. and
Non-U.S. issuers
Vendor financing
Sukuk (Islamic bonds)
Other alternative investments
62
•
•
Investments in registered and
unregistered investment companies
Contracts for differences
NBIA fixed income strategies could also hold cash and cash equivalents.
Some of NBIA’s investments are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Those
assets include those that are issued by sovereign entities and corporations. NBIA will, for some
Client Accounts, use investments in derivative instruments for hedging and non-hedging
purposes. Derivative investments will only be entered into in accordance with a client’s
investment guidelines and applicable laws.
NBIA provides investment management services based on a variety of fixed income strategies.
Each strategy has a specialty investment team devoted to it. Client Accounts are managed within
these strategies and, when the client’s portfolio can benefit by including additional resources in
seeking to meet its investment objectives and the client agrees, across strategies. The investment
teams work closely together to manage strategies that overlap different products. NBIA generally
manages Client Accounts against published bond and loan market benchmarks as well as custom
bond and loan market benchmarks in strategies designed to achieve unique objectives. Within
each strategy, NBIA incorporates differing levels of risk management to meet client-specific needs.
The strategies include:
Investment Grade Strategies
•
: NBIA manages fixed income strategies that focus primarily
on a universe of investment grade issuers. NBIA’s investment grade fixed income strategies
span a variety of categories, including broad market, opportunistic, long duration, specialty,
short duration and cash. Certain strategies include exposure to non-investment grade
issues and other investments. The following are some of NBIA’s significant investment
grade fixed income strategies:
Broad Market
•
•
•
Short Duration and Cash
Enhanced Cash
Short Duration
Tax-Advantaged Cash Management
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Core Bond
European Fixed Income
Core Plus
Total Return Bond
Global Bond (Unhedged)
Enhanced Bond Index
Passive Bond Index
Opportunistic
•
•
•
Strategic Multi-Sector Fixed Income
Global Opportunistic Bond
Multi-Sector Credit
•
Long Duration
Liability Driven Investing
•
Specialty
•
TIPS
•
Investment Grade Credit
•
Investment Grade Private Credit
•
Global Investment Grade Credit
•
Crossover Credit
•
Diversified Currency
•
Mortgage Constrained
•
Securitized Credit
Global Credit Fixed Income
63
•
•
•
•
•
Long Credit
Long Government Credit
Index/ETF Options
Corporate Hybrids
Financial Hybrids
• Municipal Strategies
: NBIA manages municipal fixed income strategies that focus
primarily on tax-exempt municipal securities, both state specific and general market. The
credit quality and duration of the strategies vary. The following are some of NBIA’s
significant municipal fixed income strategies:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Municipal Ultra Short Duration
Municipal Enhanced Cash
Municipal Cash Management
Tax-Advantaged Cash Management
Municipal Extended Core
Municipal Core
Municipal Short Core
Municipal Short Duration
High Yield Municipals
• Non–Investment Grade Credit Strategies
: NBIA manages a variety of strategies that
focus primarily on non-investment grade issuers, including high yield, floating rate loan
and distressed debt strategies. The high yield strategies include both U.S. and Global
e.g.,
strategies as well as strategies with a specific credit quality or duration bias. The floating
rate loan strategy is utilized in various Client Accounts, including structured vehicles (
CLOs). NBIA’s distressed debt strategies include duration biased, opportunistic stressed,
distressed and special situation investments in credit-related products. It is also possible
that distressed debt strategies will invest with the intention of taking a control position in
a company or as a non-control participant. The following are some of NBIA’s significant
non-investment grade fixed income strategies:
•
•
High Yield
•
•
Distressed Debt (Special
Situations)
Floating Rate Loans
CLOs
o
o
o
o
o
U.S. High Yield
Short Duration High Yield
European High Yield
Quality Bias High Yield
Global High Yield
• Emerging Markets Debt Strategies
e.g.,
: NBIA manages fixed income strategies that focus on
emerging markets debt, including hard currency, local currency, short duration and
corporate debt strategies. The denomination of the strategies varies and some strategies
are permitted to invest in derivative instruments. NBIA also manages emerging markets
debt strategies that combine the portfolio management team’s highest conviction
investment ideas amongst the four individual emerging markets debt strategies (hard
currency, local currency, short duration and corporate debt) and such strategies often
include a tactical asset overlay. NBIA’s emerging markets debt strategies include strategies
that focus on regional sub-sets (
Asian currency, China bonds, etc.). The following are
some of NBIA’s significant emerging markets debt strategies:
64
•
•
•
Short Duration
Asia Hard Currency
China Bond Core
•
•
•
•
•
Hard Currency
Corporates
Local Currency
Blend
Sustainable Blend Investment Grade
• Residential Real Estate Private Credit Strategy
“Mortgage Loans”
: Through structured vehicles and
separately managed accounts, NBIA provides exposure to the residential loan market. This
strategy primarily focuses on products related to mortgage lending, residential,
commercial, multi-family residential rental, mixed residential/commercial and investment
mortgage loans, open and closed end home equity lines of credit and loans secured by real
), real property, mortgage-backed and other asset-
property or land (
backed securities, mortgage loan servicing rights, excess servicing spread, servicer
advances, equity interests in related operating companies, and various types of interests
therein or synthetic exposure thereto or other mortgage or real estate investments.
Inherent in the purchase of Mortgage Loans are real estate that must be held for resale or
leased for a period of time. This strategy involves the retention and supervision of
mortgage loan servicers who work with borrowers on an individual level to achieve
favorable loan outcomes and often entail leverage.
Equity Strategies
NBIA’s equity strategies are managed by teams comprised of experienced portfolio managers and
investment analysts that are supported by the firm’s Global Equity Research Department.
NBIA offers advice on a wide range of equity securities including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
common stocks
preferred stocks
securities convertible into stocks
REITs
mutual funds and other investment
companies
ETFs
participation/participatory notes (P-
notes)
options
Private Investments
depositary receipts
NBIA equity strategies could also hold cash and cash equivalents.
Some of NBIA’s investments are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. NBIA will,
for some Client Accounts, use investments in derivative instruments for hedging and non-hedging
purposes. Derivative investments will only be entered into in accordance with a client’s
investment guidelines and applicable laws.
NBIA manages a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional equity strategies:
• Traditional Equity Strategies
: NBIA manages traditional equity investment approaches
that are defined by or based upon a variety of factors including investment styles, market
65
mid-cap
capitalization, geography or some combination thereof. Equity investment styles include:
(i) growth - a style that focuses on growth companies; (ii) value - a style that focuses on
undervalued companies; (iii) core/blend - a style that is a combination of growth and value;
large-
as well as (iv) neutral style, which does not have a specific style approach. Market
small-
cap
capitalization factors include a focus on issuers with large market capitalization (“
cap
”) or small market capitalization (“
”), mid-size market capitalization (“
”), a combination thereof or all market capitalization range focus, or a market
capitalization neutral approach. Geographic focus includes a global or multi-national
approach, a specific geographic region or county focus, or approaches that are
geographically neutral. Some traditional equity strategies are diversified in terms of the
number of holdings while others are more concentrated and include a smaller number of
holdings. The following are some of NBIA’s significant traditional equity strategies:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All Cap Core
Small Cap Value
Small Cap Intrinsic Value
Small / Mid Cap Intrinsic Value
Small Mid Cap
Small Mid Cap Concentrated
Global Equity
Emerging Markets Equity
International Equity
International Select
Global Sustainable
U.S. Equity Impact
Global Equity Impact
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Large Cap Disciplined Growth
Mid Cap Growth
Small Cap Growth
Core Equity
Multi-Cap Opportunities
All Cap Intrinsic Value
Large Cap Value
Large Cap Core
Mid Cap Intrinsic Value
China A Shares
India Equity
European Sustainable
Global Sustainable Value
Japan Equity
MENA Equity
Saudi Equity
• Non-Traditional Equity Strategies
: NBIA manages non-traditional equity investment
strategies that are specialized or not defined by or focused on a specific investment style,
market capitalization, geography or some combination thereof. That includes equity
strategies that are defined or focused on (i) specific market sectors, such as energy, master
limited partnerships, infrastructure, or real estate investment trusts, (ii) specific objectives,
such as equity income, or (iii) unique approaches such as strategies that are based upon
quantitative investment tools, strategies that incorporate socially responsible investing
principles or strategies that are based primary on the ratings of the firm’s Global Equity
Research Department. Some non-traditional equity strategies are diversified in terms of
the number of holdings while others are more concentrated and include a smaller number
of holdings. The following are some of NBIA’s significant non-traditional equity strategies:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sustainable Equity
Systematic Large Cap Value
Multi-Factor Equity – World
Multi-Factor Equity – Emerging
Markets
Risk Balanced Global Equity
Global Equity Megatrends
Research Opportunity
Thematic Equities
MLPs
Energy
Infrastructure
Real Estate Securities
Equity Income
Autonomous Vehicles
5G Connectivity
Climate Transition
China Next Generation Technology
Alternative Strategies
NBIA also offers alternative strategies that are managed by teams that specialize in alternative
investing. Those strategies invest in a wide variety of equity, fixed income, and other instruments
and many incorporate NBIA’s elements of equity and fixed income strategies or leverage the
research from these strategies. These strategies involve long-only investing or a combination of
long and short investment, which often involves the use of derivatives and leverage. The following
are some of NBIA’s significant alternative strategies:
•
•
•
•
•
”)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Uncorrelated Multi-Manager
Distressed Credit
Principal Strategies
Specialty Finance
SPACs
Special Purpose Acquisition
Companies (“
Hedged Cryptocurrency Volatility
Private Debt
Multi-Sector Private Credit
Risk Premia
Equity Long/Short
Credit Long/Short
All-Cap Alpha
Commodities
Options
Hedged Option Premium
Global Equity Long/Short
Private Equity including Pre-IPO
Investments
Customized portfolios across the
above-mentioned strategies
Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates
NBIA also manages Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates that combine certain of the fixed income,
equity and alternative strategies described above and also utilize certain strategies of NBIA-
affiliated investment advisers. The Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates include investment processes
that incorporate various blends of fundamental and quantitative investment strategies, including
strategic and tactical asset allocation models. The following are some of NBIA’s significant Multi-
Asset Strategy Mandates:
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•
•
•
•
•
Multi-Asset Strategy
Risk Parity
Multi-Asset Income
Tactical Macro
Global Multi-Asset
The Wealth Advisory Program
i.e.,
i.e.,
The investment strategies that are available through the Wealth Advisory Program are limited to,
Separate Accounts strategies, Affiliated Registered
and will include, (i) proprietary strategies (
Funds, affiliated Semi-Liquid Private Funds, and Affiliated CITs) and (ii) non-proprietary
strategies (
Third-Party Separate Account strategies, Third-Party Registered Funds,
Wealth Investment
unaffiliated Semi-Liquid Private Funds, and unaffiliated CITs) deemed complementary to the
Group
proprietary strategies by Neuberger’s Wealth Investment Group (the “
e.g.,
”) from time to time. Third-Party Separate Account strategies are limited to those approved
by the Third-Party SMA Provider. In addition, on a limited basis, the Wealth Investment Group
will, specifically for one or more accounts, approve a complementary non-proprietary strategy
not generally available in the Wealth Advisory Program. In all cases, the Wealth Investment Group
adheres to a framework developed by the Wealth Investment Group that defines how third-party
strategies are complementary to those offered directly by NBIA and its affiliates. Complementary
strategies are generally defined as strategies where there are meaningful differences in style,
investment approach, or underlying securities/exposures (
ADRs, currencies, region, etc.)
from those strategies offered directly by NBIA and its affiliates. Other sources of differentiation
include passive strategies or those that employ a strategy within Neuberger’s Integration
Framework, where financially material environmental, social and corporate governance factors
are integrated into investment processes. Because the Wealth Investment Group limits the non-
proprietary strategies that are available through the Wealth Advisory Program to those that are
complementary to proprietary strategies, certain non-proprietary strategies will be excluded
from the programs because of their similarities to a proprietary strategy, including non-
proprietary strategies that have better performance records or lower fees than the corresponding
proprietary strategy. The available strategies and the use of proprietary strategies and non-
proprietary strategies Wealth Program Clients for whom NBIA provides OCIO services and other
Wealth Clients could vary from one another and from the other investment platforms of NBIA or
its affiliates. Where a Wealth Program Client maintains a relationship with a third-party
intermediary, this could limit the strategies in which their Client Accounts can be invested,
including limiting the strategies to only those managed by NBIA or excluding Third-Party Separate
Accounts. Where a Wealth Program Client holds, prior to their participation in the Wealth
Advisory Program, Third-Party Registered Funds or unaffiliated Semi-Liquid Private Funds that
have not been approved for the Wealth Advisory Program, NBIA generally intends to manage out
of these assets into approved strategies within three (3) years, at which time, unless otherwise
agreed, the shares or interests of such Third-Party Registered Funds or unaffiliated Semi-Liquid
Private Funds will be moved below-the-line or into a brokerage account and will no longer be
advised by NBIA. From time to time, where specifically agreed with a Wealth Program Client,
NBIA can also allocate a Wealth Program Client’s assets to (i) affiliated and unaffiliated Private
Funds other than those generally available in the Wealth Advisory Program, (ii) Non-U.S.
Registered Funds, including UCITS, managed by NBIA or its affiliates, or (iii) Private Investments.
68
C. Material Risks
Investments in securities and other financial instruments involve risk of loss that investors
must be prepared to bear.
The following is a summary of the principal risks associated with the investment strategies
employed by NBIA, as discussed in Item 8.B. This is a summary only and not every strategy will
invest in each type of security or other asset discussed below nor will all accounts be subject to all
the risks below. Each client should review the investment strategy associated with its particular
account and should contact its client representative for more information about the strategies and
risks present in the account. Private Fund investors should review the applicable Offering
Documents for further information relating to the strategies and risks associated with the
particular fund. Investors in Affiliated Registered Funds, Non-U.S. Registered Funds and Third-
Party Mutual Funds should also look to the applicable fund’s offering documentation for further
information on the risks associated with the particular fund. Program Clients and Dual Contract
Clients should also review the Program Sponsors’ regulatory filings, including their firm and wrap
fee brochures.
General Risks Across All Strategies
Risk of Loss
The following is a summary of material risks that apply to NBIA’s various investment strategies.
Please note that certain risks, other than
, do not apply to all NBIA strategies or apply
to a material degree.
Risk of Loss.
Clients should understand that all investment strategies and the investments made
pursuant to such strategies involve risk of loss, including the potential loss of the entire investment
in the Client Accounts, which clients should be prepared to bear. The investment performance and
the success of any investment strategy or particular investment can never be predicted or
guaranteed, and the value of a client’s investments will fluctuate due to market conditions and
other factors. The investment decisions made and the actions taken for Client Accounts will be
subject to various market, liquidity, currency, economic, political and other risks, and will not
necessarily be profitable and it is possible that they will lose value. Past performance of Client
Accounts is not indicative of future performance.
The risks listed below are listed in alphabetical order and not in order of importance. In addition
to the risks listed here, there are additional material risks associated with the types of products in
which a Client Account invests. Clients should refer to the prospectus or other applicable offering
documents of those particular products for a discussion of applicable risk factors for those
particular investments.
• Antitrust Risk.
NBIA and certain Client Accounts will be subject to antitrust and
competition rules that apply in the U.S. and the countries or regions where they do
business. Failure to comply with those rules could result in sanctions, fines or penalties,
including civil damage actions, or delays in consummating the investments on behalf of
Client Accounts. In certain instances, a failure to comply could also result in an inability to
69
consummate an investment, restricting additional investment(s) in existing investments
and/or requiring divestment of certain assets. This could also negatively affect NBIA’s
reputation and could require NBIA’s management to devote time to compliance with such
rules and resolution of such outcomes, which would reduce the time spent on its other
activities. In some cases, private equity sponsors could be held jointly and severally liable
for any sanctions or penalties imposed on current or former portfolio companies for breach
of antitrust rules or regulations. This has become particularly true in Europe. Also, there
have been governmental investigations and lawsuits alleging that certain club deals or
consortium bids constituted an illegal attempt to collude and drive down the price on
acquisitions. There can be no assurances that NBIA or Client Accounts will not be subject
to litigation or investigations involving consortium bids or allegations of other
anticompetitive activity, or the resulting negative impacts described above.
• Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Risk.
AI has seen a dramatic rise in usage and popularity in
recent years. AI refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that
otherwise require human intelligence. These tasks include learning from experience
(machine learning), understanding natural language, recognizing patterns, solving
problems, and making decisions. AI aims to simulate human cognitive functions, enabling
machines to analyze data, adapt to changing inputs, and improve performance over time.
The proliferation of AI poses several risks that warrant careful consideration. One
significant concern is the potential for biased algorithms, which may perpetuate and
amplify existing societal biases present in training data. The lack of transparency in
complex AI systems raises issues of accountability and ethical implications, as decision-
making processes become opaque. Additionally, there are concerns about job displacement
due to increased automation, leading to economic and social disruptions. Furthermore, the
rapid advancement of AI technology raises security concerns, with the potential for
malicious uses such as deepfake generation and cyberattacks. As AI develops further, there
is a risk that unforeseen technological and societal changes could negatively impact Client
Accounts.
NBIA may utilize AI tools in its business operations to improve operational efficiency and
for assistance in research and analyzing data, among other uses. AI systems rely on
complex algorithms and data inputs and the challenges with properly managing AI tools
could result in reputational harm, competitive harm, and legal liability for NBIA, and/or
have an adverse effect on NBIA’s business operations. AI tools are dependent on historical
data, consequently, if the content or analyses that AI applications assist NBIA in producing
are or are alleged to be deficient, inaccurate, or biased, a Client Account may be adversely
affected. Additionally, AI tools used by NBIA may produce inaccurate, misleading or
incomplete responses that could lead to errors in NBIA’s and its employees’ judgement,
decision-making, investment research or other business activities, which could have a
negative impact on the performance of a Client Account. Additionally, NBIA’s competitors
or other third parties could incorporate AI into their products more quickly or more
successfully, which could impair NBIA’s ability to compete effectively.
• Asset Allocation Risk.
The asset classes in which a Client Account seeks investment
exposure can perform differently from each other at any given time (as well as over the
70
long term), so a Client Account will be affected by its allocation among equity securities,
debt securities and cash equivalent securities. If a Client Account favors exposure to an
asset class during a period when that asset class underperforms other asset classes,
performance will likely suffer.
• Bankruptcy of a Custodian or Broker
. Assets of a Client Account held by a Qualified
Custodian can be held in the name of the custodian or broker in a securities depository,
clearing agency or omnibus customer account of such custodian or broker. To the extent
that assets are held in the United States by a custodian in a segregated account or by a
broker in a customer account, such assets could be entitled to certain protections from the
claims of creditors of the custodian or broker. However, a Client Account with assets held
in a segregated account by a custodian could experience delays and expense in receiving a
distribution of such assets in the case of a bankruptcy, receivership or other insolvency
proceeding of such custodian. Assets held by brokers in a customer account are entitled to
certain protections from the claims of creditors of the broker but many do not have the
same level of protection applicable to segregated accounts held by a non-broker custodian
and thus it is possible that they would not be sufficient to satisfy the full amount of
customer claims. Assets held by non-U.S. brokers or custodians are often not subject to the
same regulations regarding the segregation of customer assets from the assets of the
broker or custodian, or from assets held on behalf of other customers of the broker or
custodian, and accordingly it is possible that assets held by a non-U.S. broker or custodian
will not be protected from the claims of creditors of the broker or custodian to the same
extent as assets held by a U.S. broker or custodian.
• Capital Contributions.
An investor’s full commitment in a Registered PE Fund or a Private
Fund that utilizes investor capital calls will not be immediately invested. It is possible that
it will take a significant amount of time to fully draw down the commitments. The
performance of a Registered PE Fund or a Private Fund (that utilizes investor capital calls)
will generally be calculated taking into account only the commitments that have been
drawn-down; thus, an investor’s performance that takes into account the investor’s total
commitment (including any undrawn amount) could be lower than the performance of the
Registered PE Fund or Private Fund.
• Climate Change Risk.
There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global
climate change on property and security values. A rise in sea levels or a storm-driven
increase in coastal flooding could cause such properties to lose value or become
unmarketable altogether. Large wildfires driven by high winds and prolonged drought
could devastate entire communities and could be very costly to any business found to be
responsible for the fire. These losses could adversely affect mortgage lenders, the value of
mortgage-backed securities, the bonds of municipalities that depend on tax revenues and
tourist dollars generated by such properties, and insurers of the property or municipal or
mortgage-backed securities. Since property and security values are driven largely by
buyers’ perceptions, it is difficult to know the time period over which these effects might
unfold. Economists warn that, unlike previous declines in the real estate market, it is
possible that properties in coastal flood zones will never recover their value. In addition,
voluntary initiatives and mandatory controls have been adopted or are being discussed
71
worldwide to reduce emissions or “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide, a by-product
of burning fossil fuels, and methane, the major constituent of natural gas, which many
scientists and policymakers believe contribute to global climate change. These measures,
and other programs addressing greenhouse gas emissions, could reduce demand for
energy or raise prices, and could have an adverse impact on investments made by a Client
Account.
• Commodity Risk
. A Client Account with investments in physical commodity-linked
derivative instruments is generally subject to greater volatility than an account with
investments in traditional securities. The value of physical commodity-linked derivative
instruments is often affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index
volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity,
such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international
economic, political and regulatory developments. To the extent that a Client Account is
concentrated in assets in a particular sector of the commodities market (such as oil, metal
or agricultural products), it will likely be more susceptible to risks associated with those
sectors.
• Complex Tax Structures of Private Funds.
Private Funds and Portfolio Funds involve
complex tax structures, and there are often delays in distributing important tax information
• Concentration Risk.
to their investors.
A strategy that concentrates its investments in a particular sector of
the market (such as the utilities or financial services sectors) or a specific geographic area
(such as a country or state) could be affected by events that adversely affect that sector or
area, and the value of a Client Account using such a strategy would likely fluctuate more
than that of a less concentrated Client Account.
Certain Private Funds are intended to provide access to a single Private Investment or
limited investments. Investments in a concentrated portfolio tend to result in more rapid
changes in the value of the portfolio, upward or downward, than would be the case with
diversification within the portfolio, with the result that a loss in any such position would
have a material adverse impact on the value of the portfolio.
• Control Situations
. From time to time with respect to distressed debt investments, subject
to applicable investment guidelines, NBIA on behalf of a Client Account will take control
positions in an issuer in an effort to maximize value. Not only can control investments take
an inordinately long period to exit, but they also can be highly resource-intensive and
contentious. NBIA and the Client Account are particularly vulnerable to being named as
defendants in litigation relating to their actions while in control of an issuer and, from time
to time, could come into possession of material non-public information concerning specific
issuers. If the issuer is a public company, until such material non-public information is
made public, it is possible that NBIA will be prohibited from trading the issuer’s security
for Client Accounts under applicable securities laws. Internal structures are in place to
prevent misuse of such information. See Item 11.D.1.
72
• Counterparty Risk
i.e.,
. To the extent that a Client Account enters into transactions on a
principal-to-principal basis, the Client Account is subject to a range of counterparty risks,
counterparty default), the risk of the
including the credit risk of its counterparty (
counterparty delaying the return of or losing collateral relating to the transaction, or the
bankruptcy of the counterparty.
• Currency Risk.
e.g.,
Currency fluctuations could negatively impact investment gains or add to
investment losses. The value of Client Accounts invested in currencies will rise and fall due
to exchange rate fluctuations in respect of the relevant currencies. Adverse movements in
currency exchange rates can result in a decrease in return and a loss of capital. The
investments could be hedged utilizing foreign currency forwards, foreign currency swaps,
foreign currency futures, options on foreign currency and other currency related
instruments. However, currency hedging transactions, while potentially reducing the
currency risks to which a Client Account would otherwise be exposed, involve certain other
risks, including the risk of a default by a counterparty. Where a Client Account engages in
foreign exchange transactions that alter the currency exposure characteristics of its
investments, the performance of such Client Account will likely be strongly influenced by
movements in exchange rates as it is possible that currency positions held by the Client
Account will not correspond with the securities positions held. Where a Client Account
utilizing currency different than the currency
enters into “cross hedging” transactions (
in which the security being hedged is denominated), the Client Account will be exposed to
the risk that changes in the value of the currency used to hedge do not correlate with
changes in the value of the currency in which the securities are denominated, which could
result in losses in both the hedging transaction and the Client Account securities.
• Dependence on NBIA.
The performance of a Client Account depends on the skill of NBIA
and its portfolio manager(s) in making appropriate investment decisions. Any Client
Account’s success depends upon NBIA’s ability to develop and implement investment
strategies and to apply investment techniques and risk analyses that achieve the client’s
investment objectives (and with respect to the Wealth Advisory Program, NBIA’s ability to
allocate, or recommend the allocation of, client’s assets among various strategies).
Subjective decisions made by NBIA could cause the account to incur losses or to miss profit
opportunities on which it would otherwise have capitalized. The use of a single adviser
applying generally similar trading programs could mean a lack of diversification and
consequently, higher risk. Similarly, with respect to the Wealth Advisory Program, the use
of proprietary strategies or certain proprietary strategies as the primary investment option
could mean a lack of diversification and consequently, higher risk.
• Derivatives Risk.
Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is
derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference or index. In implementing certain
of its investment strategies, NBIA could use derivatives, such as futures, options on futures,
options, forward contracts and swaps, as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to
other risks or to take a position in an underlying asset. Derivatives involve risks different
from, or greater than, those associated with more traditional investments. Derivatives can
be highly complex, can create investment leverage and are often highly volatile, which
could result in the strategy losing more than the amount it invests. Derivatives are also
73
often difficult to value and highly illiquid, and it is possible that NBIA will not be able to
close out or sell a derivative position at a particular time or at an anticipated price. NBIA is
not required to engage in derivative transactions, even when doing so would be beneficial
to the Client Account.
Dodd-
Frank Act
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “
CFTC
”) provided for a sweeping overhaul of the regulation of privately negotiated
derivatives. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“
”) was granted broad
regulatory authority over “swaps,” which term has been defined in the Dodd-Frank Act and
related CFTC rules to include certain derivatives. Title VII could affect a Client Account’s
ability to enter into certain derivative transactions, increase the costs of entering into such
transactions, or result in Client Accounts entering into such transactions on less favorable
terms than prior to the effectiveness of the Dodd-Frank Act.
In addition, NBIA may take advantage of opportunities with respect to derivative
instruments that are not currently contemplated or available for use, but are subsequently
developed, if such opportunities are both consistent with the Client Account’s investment
objectives and guidelines and legally permissible. Special risks will likely apply to such
instruments that cannot be determined until such instruments are developed or invested
Derivative Counterparty Risk.
in by the Client Account.
OTC
Derivatives are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk
that the other party to the derivative contract will fail to make required payments or
otherwise to comply with the terms of the contract. This risk is generally regarded as
greater in privately negotiated, over-the-counter (“
”) transactions, in which the
counterparty is a single bank or broker-dealer, than in cleared transaction, in which the
counterparty is a clearing organization comprised of many bank and broker-dealer
members, but some level of counterparty risk exists in all derivative transactions.
e.g.,
If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a
derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Client Account could lose any gains that
have accrued to it in the transaction and could miss investment opportunities or be
required to hold investments it would prefer to sell, resulting in losses for the Client
Account. If the counterparty defaults, a Client Account will have contractual remedies, but
there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual
obligations or that the Client Account will be able to enforce its rights. For example, the
Client Account could be delayed or limited in enforcing its rights against any margin or
collateral posted by the counterparty, which would likely result in the value of that
insufficient. Also, because OTC derivatives transactions are
collateral becoming
individually negotiated with a specific counterparty, a Client Account is subject to the risk
that a counterparty will interpret contractual terms (
the amount payable to or by the
Client Account upon a default or other early termination) in a manner adverse to the Client
Account. The cost and unpredictability of the legal proceedings required to enforce a Client
Account’s contractual rights could lead the Client Account to decide not to pursue its claims
against the counterparty.
74
Counterparty risks are often greater for derivatives with longer maturities where events
could intervene that prevent required payments from being made. Counterparty risk is
also often greater when a Client Account has concentrated its derivatives with a single or
small group of counterparties. To the extent a Client Account has significant exposure to a
single counterparty, this risk could be particularly pronounced for the Client Account. The
Client Account, therefore, assumes the risk that it will be unable to obtain payments that
NBIA believes are owed under an OTC derivatives contract or that those payments will be
delayed or made only after the Client Account has incurred the costs of litigation. In
addition, counterparty risk is pronounced during unusually adverse market conditions and
is particularly acute in environments in which financial services firms are exposed to
systemic risks. It is possible that a Client Account will obtain only a limited recovery or
Bankruptcy of a Clearing Organization or Clearing Member.
obtain no recovery upon a counterparty default.
A party to a cleared derivatives
transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing organization that becomes the
counterparty to the transaction and that of the clearing member through which it holds its
cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivatives
transaction. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally
cleared is concentrated in a few clearing organizations. It is not entirely clear how an
insolvency proceeding of a clearing organization would be conducted or what impact an
insolvency of a clearing organization would have on the financial system.
A clearing member is obligated by contract and by applicable regulation to segregate all
funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives positions from the
clearing member’s proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a
clearing member from its customers with respect to cleared derivatives are generally held
by the clearing member on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, and the clearing
member can invest those funds in instruments permitted under the applicable regulations.
Therefore, a Client Account might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of a
Client Account’s clearing member because the Client Account would be limited to
recovering only a pro rata share of the funds held in the omnibus account for the relevant
Risk of Failure of a Clearing Broker to Comply with Margin Requirements.
account class.
The clearing
member is required to transfer to the clearing organization the amount of margin required
by the clearing organization for the cleared derivatives. Such amounts are generally held in
an omnibus account at the clearing organization for all customers of the clearing member.
Regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing
organization of the portion of the aggregate initial margin provided by the clearing member
to the clearing organization that is attributable to each customer. However, if the clearing
member does not accurately report a Client Account’s initial margin, the Client Account
would be subject to the risk that the clearing organization will use Client Account’s assets
held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a
defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. In addition,
clearing members generally provide the clearing organization the net amount of variation
margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than
75
individually for each customer. The Client Accounts are therefore subject to the risk that a
clearing organization will not make variation margin payments owed to them if another
customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss or is in default, and the risk that Client
Accounts will be required to provide additional variation margin to the clearing
organization before the clearing organization will move the Client Account’s cleared
derivatives positions to another clearing member. In addition, if a clearing member does
not comply with the applicable regulations or its agreement with the Client Accounts, or in
the event of fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by a clearing member, Client
Accounts could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the clearing
member with respect to the margin held by the clearing member. Client Accounts also
would have only an unsecured claim for the return of any margin held by the clearing
member that is in excess of the amounts owed to the Client Accounts on their derivative
Daily Trading Limits Imposed by the Exchanges and Position Limits.
contracts cleared through that clearing member.
The CFTC and U.S.
commodities exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices
during a single trading day by regulations referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits” or
“daily trading limits.” Once the daily trading limit has been reached in a particular futures
contract, no trades will be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading could be
suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move
to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing
prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially disguising substantial losses the
client could ultimately incur.
A Client Account’s investment performance depends upon how its assets are allocated and
reallocated, and a client could lose money on its investment as a result of these allocation
decisions and related constraints. The CFTC and the exchanges on which commodity
interests (futures, options on futures and swaps) are traded impose limitations governing
the maximum number of positions on the same side of the market and involving the same
underlying instrument that are held by a single investor or group of related investors,
whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such contracts are
held on the same or different exchanges or held or written in one or more accounts or
through one or more brokers). NBIA currently trades for multiple accounts and funds, and
therefore the commodity interest positions of all such accounts and funds will generally be
required to be aggregated for purposes of determining compliance with position limits,
position reporting and position “accountability” rules imposed by the CFTC or the various
exchanges. Swaps positions in physical commodity swaps that are “economically
equivalent” to futures and options on futures held by a Client Account and these other funds
and accounts could also be included in determining compliance with federal position rules,
and the exchanges could impose their own rules covering these and other types of swaps.
These trading and position limits, and any aggregation requirement, could materially limit
the commodity interest positions NBIA takes for a Client Account and could cause NBIA to
close out a Client Account’s positions earlier than it might otherwise choose to do so.
Additional Risk Factors in Cleared Derivatives Transactions.
Transactions in some types of
swaps (including certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American
76
and European indices) are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction involving those
swaps, a Client Account’s counterparty is a clearing organization, rather than a bank or
broker. Since the Client Accounts are not members of clearing organizations and only
members of a clearing organization can participate directly in the clearing organization, the
Client Accounts will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In
cleared derivatives positions, the Client Accounts will make payments (including margin
payments) to and receive payments from a clearing organization through their accounts at
clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations
to the clearing organization.
Cleared derivative arrangements pose different risks to Client Accounts than bilateral
arrangements. For example, the Client Accounts could be required to provide more margin
for cleared derivatives positions than for bilateral derivatives positions. On the other hand,
given the longer time horizon to be covered, lesser opportunities for netting, and likely less
standardization of the instruments involved, margin on bilateral positions are often
greater. Also, in contrast to a bilateral derivatives position, following a period of notice to
a Client Account, a clearing member generally can require termination of an existing
cleared derivatives position at any time or an increase in margin requirements above the
margin that the clearing member required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing
organizations also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing positions
or to terminate those positions at any time. Any increase in margin requirements or
termination of existing cleared derivatives positions by the clearing member or the clearing
organization could interfere with the ability of a Client Account to pursue its investment
strategy. Further, any increase in margin requirements by a clearing member could expose
a Client Account to greater credit risk to its clearing member because margin for cleared
derivatives positions in excess of a clearing organization’s margin requirements typically
is held by the clearing member.
A Client Account is subject to risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required
to be cleared (or that NBIA expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able
to submit the transaction for clearing on the Client Account’s behalf. While the
documentation in place between the Client Accounts and their clearing members generally
provides that the clearing members will submit for clearing all cleared derivatives
transactions that are within specified credit limits for each Client Account, the Client
Accounts are still subject to the risk that no clearing member will be willing or able to
submit a transaction for clearing. In those cases, the proposed transaction would be
terminated, and the Client Account could lose some or all of the benefit of the proposed
transaction, including loss of an increase in the value of the position or loss of hedging
protection.
The documentation governing the relationship between the Client Accounts and clearing
members is drafted by the clearing members and may be less favorable to the Client
Accounts than typical bilateral derivatives documentation. For example, documentation
relating to cleared derivatives generally includes a one-way indemnity by the Client
Accounts in favor of the clearing member for losses the clearing member incurs as the
Client Accounts’ clearing member and typically does not provide the Client Accounts any
77
remedies if the clearing member defaults or becomes insolvent. While futures contracts
entail similar risks, the risks may be more pronounced for cleared swaps due to their more
Changes in the Law Governing Derivatives.
limited liquidity and market history under certain market conditions.
The derivatives market was largely unregulated
prior to the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act regulatory framework
also imposes mandatory margin requirements — including initial and variation margin —
for both cleared and non-cleared derivatives, as well as capital requirements for swap
dealers and major swap participants. Compliance with these requirements has increased
the costs associated with derivatives transactions and has affected the availability and
terms of certain instruments, particularly for non-cleared derivatives. The framework has
been substantially implemented, though regulatory refinements — including rules relating
to cross-border application, reporting obligations, business conduct standards, and
customer account protections — continue to evolve.
Derivatives Rule
In addition, Rule 18f-4 (the “
”), which funds have been required to comply
with since August 2022, replaced current asset segregation requirements with a new
framework for the use of derivatives by registered funds. For funds using a significant
number of derivatives, the Derivatives Rule mandates a fund adopt and/or implement:
(i) value at risk limitations in lieu of asset segregation requirements; (ii) a written
derivatives risk management program; (iii) new Board oversight responsibilities; and
(iv) new reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The Derivatives Rule provides an
exception for funds with derivative exposure not exceeding 10% of their net assets,
excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions. In addition, the
Derivatives Rule provides special treatment for reverse repurchase agreements and similar
financing transactions and unfunded commitment agreements.
• Diversification Risk
. It is possible that Client Accounts will not be diversified across a
wide range of asset classes or issuers, which could increase
the risk of loss and volatility
than would be the case if the Client Account were diversified across asset classes or issuers
affecting that
because the value of holdings would be more susceptible to adverse events
asset classes or issuers.
• Energy Risk
. Investments in energy are inherently subject to numerous risks arising from
their operations, which could have an adverse effect on Client Accounts. The risks include:
(i) the risk that technology employed in an energy project will not be effective or efficient;
(ii) risks of equipment failures, fuel interruptions, loss of sale and supply contracts or fuel
contracts, decreases or escalations in power contract or fuel contract prices, reduced
availability of natural gas or other commodities for transporting, processing or delivering,
slowdowns in new construction, bankruptcy of key customers or suppliers, tort liability in
excess of insurance coverage, inability to obtain desirable amounts of insurance at
economic rates, and natural disasters, extreme weather, labor difficulties, threats or acts of
terrorism, wars, embargoes, actions by oil cartels impacting supply and other catastrophic
events; (iii) risks that regulations affecting the energy industry will change in a manner
detrimental to the industry; (iv) environmental liability risks related to energy properties
and projects; (v) uncertainty about the extent, quality and availability of oil, gas and coal
78
reserves; and (vi) the risk of changes in values of companies in the energy sector whose
operations are affected by changes in prices and supplies of energy fuels (prices and
supplies of energy fuels can fluctuate significantly over a short period of time due to
changes in international politics, energy conservation, the success of explorations projects,
the tax and other regulatory policies of various governments and the economic growth of
countries that are large consumers of energy, as well as other factors).
• Epidemics, Pandemics, Outbreaks of Disease, and Public Health Issues.
An epidemic
or pandemic outbreak and governments’ reactions to such an outbreak could cause
uncertainty in the markets and could adversely affect the performance of the global
economy. Previous occurrences of epidemics, pandemics, and outbreaks of disease, such as
coronavirus (or COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome, avian influenza, (including
the H5N1 strain), H1N1/09, the Spanish Flu, and other similarly infectious diseases had
material adverse impacts on the economies, equity markets and operations of those
countries and jurisdictions in which they were most prevalent. A recurrence of an outbreak
of any kind of epidemic, communicable disease, virus or major public health issue could
cause a slowdown in the levels of economic activity generally (or push the world or local
economies into recession), as a result of travel restrictions (such as mandatory quarantines
and social distancing), governmental actions limiting the movement of people and goods
between regions, or other factors, which would be reasonably likely to adversely affect the
business, financial condition and operations of NBIA and its affiliates and Client Accounts.
COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 and spread around the world. The COVID-19
pandemic negatively affected the global economy, global equity markets and supply chains
(including as a result of quarantines and other government-directed or mandated
measures or actions to stop the spread of outbreaks). While the development of vaccines
slowed the spread of COVID-19 beginning in late 2020 and eventually allowed for the
resumption of normal business activity in the United States, there is no guarantee that the
vaccines will continue to be effective against COVID-19 as new variants of the virus emerge.
• Environmental, Social and Governance Classification & Regulation Risk.
The
regulation of environmental, social and governance matters is uncertain and changing
rapidly, with different product categorization, labelling and disclosure regimes emerging
across the world. NBIA and Client Accounts are, or could be, subject to such regimes, which
may impact how NBIA’s activities are run, how the Client Account operates and / or how
the Client Account deploys its capital or selects investments. Regulatory scrutiny of
environmental, social and governance matters has increased and regulations (even if well
established) and/or their interpretations are changing on an ongoing basis, particularly as
the underlying science and general understanding of how such matters impact companies
and investments continue to evolve. NBIA or the Client Account may become subject to
increased or more onerous environmental, social and governance requirements (including
with retroactive effect) which may have an impact on the Client Account’s eligibility, or
continued eligibility, for specific categorizations or labels, its investments or investment
processes (among others). At the same time, different positions or rules regarding the use
of environmental, social and governance factors have also gained momentum across the
79
U.S., with several states and Congress having considered, proposed or enacted policies,
legislation or initiatives or issued related regulatory guidance. Such policies, legislation,
initiatives, guidance and scrutiny could expose NBIA to the risk of regulatory investigations
or challenges and enforcement by state or federal authorities, which may result in penalties
and reputational harm and require certain investors to divest or discourage certain
investors from investing in Client Accounts. Furthermore, NBIA faces reputational and legal
risk from claims of greenwashing (overstating the environmental or social credentials of
an investment) or greenhushing (understating or concealing such credentials to avoid
scrutiny), either of which could result in regulatory action or reputational damage to NBIA
and the Client Account. Litigation has also been brought against public and private actors
challenging the use of environmental, social and governance factors in retirement plans
and other investment contexts, alleging that such consideration may be inconsistent with
applicable fiduciary duties, and there is no guarantee that NBIA or the Client Accounts will
not become subject to similar claims.
• ETF Risks.
pro rata
Investing in an ETF exposes a Client Account to all of the risks of that ETF’s
portion of the ETF’s fees and expenses, in addition
investments and subjects it to a
to the fees and expenses associated with the Client Account. As a result, the cost of investing
in ETF shares generally exceeds the costs of investing directly in its underlying investments.
ETF shares trade on an exchange at a market price that varies from the ETF’s NAV. ETFs
are often purchased at prices that exceed the NAV of their underlying investments and are
often sold at prices below such NAV. Because the market price of ETF shares depends on
the demand in the market for them, the market price of an ETF can be more volatile than
the underlying portfolio of securities the ETF is designed to track, and it is possible that a
Client Account will not be able to liquidate ETF holdings at the time and price desired, which
could impact its performance.
Regulators in the U.S. are expected to permit certain funds registered under the Investment
Company Act to offer both mutual fund share classes and ETF share classes pursuant to
exemptive relief. There are structural and operational differences between mutual funds
and ETFs, which give rise to different shareholder rights along with other differences in
this structure, including differences in portfolio transaction costs and distributions. Any
use of this structure by NBIA, if available to it, would be subject to the terms and conditions
of such exemptive relief.
• Failure to Make Capital Contributions
. With respect to Portfolio Funds, Private Funds
and Registered PE Funds that utilize investor capital calls, the consequences of defaulting
on a capital call notice generally are material and adverse to the defaulting investor. In
addition, if an investor fails to make a capital contribution when due and the capital
contributions made by non-defaulting investors and short-term borrowings by the
Portfolio Fund, Private Fund or Registered PE Fund are inadequate to cover the defaulted
capital contribution, it is possible that the Portfolio Fund, Private Fund or Registered PE
Fund itself would be unable to pay its obligations when due. As a result, Portfolio Funds,
Private Funds and Registered PE Fund would be subjected to significant penalties that
could materially adversely affect the returns to the non-defaulting investors.
80
• Forward Contracts.
If a Client Account’s investment guidelines permit, NBIA could enter
into forward contracts which are not traded on exchanges and are generally not regulated
on behalf of such account. There are no limitations on daily price moves of forward
contracts. Banks and other dealers with which a Client Account often maintain accounts
normally require the Client Account to deposit margin with respect to such trading. The
counterparties are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts, and these
contracts can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There
have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote
prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually widespread (the price
at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell).
Arrangements to trade forward contracts can be made with only one or a few
counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such
arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls
by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than that which NBIA
would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of a Client Account. Market
illiquidity or disruption could result in major losses to a Client Account. In addition, a Client
Account could be exposed to credit risks with regard to counterparties with which it trades
as well as risks relating to settlement default. Such risks could result in substantial losses
to a Client Account.
• Fraudulent Conveyance Considerations
. Various laws enacted for the protection of
creditors apply to certain investments that are debt obligations, although the existence and
applicability of such laws will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, if a court
were to find that the borrower did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent
value for incurring indebtedness evidenced by an investment and the grant of any security
interest or other lien securing such investment, and, after giving effect to such
indebtedness, the borrower (i) was insolvent, (ii) was engaged in a business for which the
assets remaining in such borrower constituted unreasonably small capital or (iii) intended
to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they
mature, such court could invalidate such indebtedness and such security interest or other
lien as a fraudulent conveyance, subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future
creditors of the borrower or recover amounts previously paid by the borrower (including
to a Client Account) in satisfaction of such indebtedness or proceeds of such security
interest or other lien previously applied in satisfaction of such indebtedness. In addition,
if an issuer in which a Client Account has an investment becomes insolvent, any payment
made on such investment could be subject to avoidance as a “preference” if made within a
certain period of time (up to one year) before insolvency.
In general, if payments on an investment are voidable, whether as fraudulent conveyances
or preferences, such payments can be recaptured either from the initial recipient or from
subsequent transferees of such payments. To the extent that any such payments are
recaptured from a Client Account, the resulting loss will be borne by the Client Account,
and indirectly, by investors in a Private Fund, as applicable.
• Futures.
For certain Client Accounts, NBIA will engage in regulated futures transactions
for active management or risk management or hedging purposes. Trading in futures and
81
margin
options on futures involves significant risks, including the following: (i) futures contracts
and options on futures are volatile in price; (ii) futures trading is highly leveraged; (iii)
futures trading can be illiquid; (iv) the clearing broker, or “futures commission merchant”
could misuse or lose collateral (“
”) associated with the futures contracts; and (v)
the clearing broker could default, file for bankruptcy or become insolvent. As discussed
above, such a default could lead to a loss within the Client Account of margin deposits made
by the Client Account in the event of bankruptcy of a clearing broker with whom a Client
Account has an open position in a futures contract or related option. It is possible for Client
Accounts to sustain a total loss of the futures contracts including the initial margin and any
maintenance margin that it deposits with a broker to establish or maintain a position in the
commodity futures market. If the market moves against a position in a Client Account, such
Client Account could be required to deposit a substantial amount of additional margin, on
short notice, in order to maintain its position. If the Client Account does not provide the
required margin within the prescribed time, its position could be liquidated at a loss, and
the Client will be liable for any resulting deficit in its account. The high degree of leverage
that is often obtainable in futures trading because of the small margin requirements can
work against a Client Account, as well as for it. The use of leverage can lead to large losses.
Non-U.S. futures markets often have greater risk than U.S. futures markets. Unlike trading
on U.S. commodity exchanges, trading on non-U.S. commodity exchanges is not regulated
by the CFTC and can be subject to greater risks than trading on U.S. exchanges. Futures
markets are also often illiquid which could prevent NBIA from promptly liquidating
unfavorable positions and adversely affect trading and profitability.
• Geographic Risk
. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, a Client
Account could invest a significant portion of its assets in one country or geographic region.
If the Client Account does so, there is a greater risk that economic, political, social and
environmental conditions in that particular country or geographic region will have a
significant impact on the Client Account’s performance and that the Client Account’s
performance will be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified
accounts. The economies and financial markets of certain regions can be highly
interdependent and could decline all at the same time. In addition, certain areas are prone
to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts or tsunamis and are
economically sensitive to environmental events. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one
or more countries or geographic regions could adversely affect performance.
• Global Trade.
The U.S. is renegotiating many of its global trade relationships and has
imposed or threatened to impose significant import tariffs, including against China, Canada,
and Mexico. Additionally, trade sanctions have become an increasingly important element
in response to global conflict. The imposition of tariffs, trade restrictions and sanctions,
currency restrictions, or similar actions (or retaliatory measures taken in response to such
actions) could lead to price volatility, inflation, declines in investor and consumer
confidence, reductions in international trade, unemployment, and overall declines in U.S.
and global investment markets. These actions may also have consequences that cannot now
be foreseen, which may create a climate of uncertainty in the marketplace. Such uncertainty
may adversely affect all economies and reduce the availability or value of investments and
the performance of Client Accounts.
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• Hedging
. Hedging techniques involve one or more of the following risks: (i) imperfect
correlation between the performance and value of the hedging instrument and the Client
Account’s position being hedged; (ii) possible lack of a secondary market for closing out a
position in such instruments; (iii) losses resulting from interest rate, spread or other
market movements not anticipated by NBIA; (iv) the possible obligation to meet additional
margin or other payment requirements, all of which could worsen the Client Account’s
position; and (v) default or refusal to perform on the part of the counterparty with which
the Client Account trades. Furthermore, to the extent that any hedging strategy involves
the use of derivative instruments, such a strategy will be subject to the risks applicable to
such instruments, as described herein.
• High Frequency Trading
. Strategies involving frequent trading of securities can adversely
affect investment performance, particularly through increased brokerage and other
transaction expenses, including unfavorable tax consequences. NBIA will not generally
seek to limit portfolio turnover when making investment decisions. Portfolio turnover can
vary from year to year, as well as within a year. Portfolio turnover and brokerage and other
transactions expenses could exceed those of investments of comparable size. Brokerage
commissions, fees, taxes, and other transaction costs could be substantial, regardless of
performance.
Impact and Sustainable Strategies Risk
•
. Client Accounts that employ impact or
sustainable investment strategies or objectives may result in the sale or avoidance of an
investment that in hindsight could have performed well or enhanced the risk/return profile
of those Client Accounts. As with the use of any investment criteria in selecting a portfolio,
particularly where there are criteria not tied directly to risk reduction or performance
enhancement, there is no guarantee that the criteria used will result in the selection of
issuers that will outperform other issuers, or help reduce risk in the portfolio. Those
investment strategies that focus on impact or sustainability may underperform strategies
that do not follow impact and sustainable investing criteria. The impact and sustainable
investing criteria may also affect a Client Account’s exposure to certain sectors or
industries, and may impact the investment performance depending on whether such
sectors or industries are in or out of favor in the market. There is no guarantee that the
impact and sustainable investing criteria used for any Client Account will ultimately result
in the identification of companies that will be successful or realize what NBIA believes to
be their full value. NBIA’s judgment as to the economic impact of applied impact and
sustainable investing criteria may be based partially on information from external sources;
availability of such information, as well as errors in or omissions from such information
could result in incorrect evaluation of a potential investment, which could negatively
impact the relevant Client Accounts or create additional risk in those Client Accounts. The
impact and sustainable investing criteria utilized by NBIA may change over time, and one
or more factors may not be relevant with respect to all issuers that are considered for
investment.
Independent Portfolio Managers.
•
Certain of the Private Funds and Affiliated Registered
Funds invest with Portfolio Managers that invest wholly independent of one another.
Similarly, Separate Account clients (including Wealth Program Clients) could invest with
83
Portfolio Managers that invest wholly independent of one another. The Portfolio Managers
could at times hold economically offsetting positions. In addition, in certain cases, it is
possible that a Portfolio Manager could receive an incentive allocation for his/her portfolio
during a certain period even though the Portfolio Manager’s overall portfolio depreciated
during that same period.
Inflation-Linked Security Risk
•
. Inflation-linked debt securities are subject to the effects
of changes in market interest rates caused by factors other than inflation (real interest
rates). In general, the price of an inflation-linked security tends to decrease when real
interest rates increase and can increase when real interest rates decrease. Interest
payments on inflation-linked securities vary widely and will fluctuate as the principal and
interest are adjusted for inflation. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-
linked debt security will be taxable ordinary income, even though the portfolio will not
receive the principal until maturity. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used
will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. A
portfolio’s investments in inflation-linked securities would likely lose value in the event
that the actual rate of inflation is different than the rate of the inflation index.
Investment Analyses
•
. NBIA provides non-discretionary investment advisory services in
the form of non-binding investment advice or analyses. There can be no assurance that its
advice or analyses will result in profitable investing or avoidance of loss. The advice is
highly reliant on the accuracy of the information provided by the client and by third parties.
Any inaccurate information could compromise the quality of the advice provided. Further,
the advice and analyses provided are often time sensitive, especially during times of
significant market volatility. With respect to the provision of such non-discretionary
services, clients have sole discretion and final responsibility for deciding whether to buy,
sell, hold or otherwise transact in any security (or, with respect to the Non-Discretionary
Wealth Program, for deciding which strategies available through the Non-Discretionary
Wealth Program in which to invest and the allocation to each strategy). The client could be
unable to execute the related transaction (or strategy), or there could be a delay in the
amount of time the client takes to execute the related transaction (or strategy) that renders
the advice provided moot, potentially reducing any profit or causing a material loss.
Analyses (including with respect to the proposal of strategies in Non-Discretionary Wealth
Program) are often based on assumptions that are based upon a limited number of
variables that include those extracted from complex financial markets or instruments they
intend to replicate. Any one or all of these assumptions could over time prove to be
inaccurate, which could result in major losses.
Investment Company Risk.
•
To the extent a Client Account invests in ETFs, mutual funds
or other investment companies, its performance will be affected by the performance of
those investment companies. Investments in ETFs, mutual funds and other investment
companies are subject to the risks of the investment companies’ investments, and,
generally, to the investment companies’ expenses. If a Client Account invests in investment
companies, the Client Account could receive distributions of taxable gains from portfolio
transactions by that investment company and could recognize taxable gains from
84
transactions in shares of that investment company, which would be taxable when
distributed.
Investments in Ultra-Liquid Assets.
•
A Client Account will at times keep a portion of its
assets in cash, cash equivalents or other ultra-liquid assets, including currencies, bank
deposits, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, one or more short duration funds
(including money market instruments or investments in shares or units of money market
funds) or government securities (both short-term and long-term). In some cases, such
investments will be financed by entering into repurchase agreements or reverse
repurchase agreements with the Client Account’s brokers or by other means. Investors in
Client Accounts should be aware that such investments usually produce a lower return than
most other investments and therefore would impact the overall performance of a Client
Account. Clients and investors in Client Accounts should not assume that their investment
is less risky due to the levels of cash, cash equivalents, and other ultra-liquid assets held by
the Client Account. Cash balances in Client Accounts may be swept into the client’s
custodian’s core sweep option(s), which may be the custodian’s customer free credit
balance or an interest-bearing deposit account. The custodian’s core sweep option(s) may
have a lower yield or lesser protections than other cash options. For example, to the extent
the custodian’s sole core sweep option is the custodian’s customer free credit balance, the
interest will be paid out in rates set by the custodian, which are generally lower than money
market funds, and the balance may be used in the custodian’s business and may not be FDIC
insured.
Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Risk.
•
There can be no assurance that
an investment strategy will produce an intended result, or will not result in losses to an
investor, including, potentially, a complete loss of principal. The performance of a strategy
depends on the skill of NBIA and its portfolio managers in making appropriate investment
decisions. Subjective decisions made by NBIA or a portfolio manager could cause a Client
Account to incur losses or to miss profit opportunities on which it would otherwise have
capitalized.
• Lack of Operating History.
The funds, vehicles, Portfolio Funds and Private Investments
in which Client Accounts invest could be newly formed and have no operating histories. As
such, there is no guarantee that such fund or investment vehicle will achieve its investment
• Leverage Risk
objectives.
. Certain Client Accounts, in accordance with their investment guidelines,
seek to enhance returns through the use of leverage, which can be described as exposure
to changes in price at a ratio greater than 1:1 in reference to the amount invested.
Additionally, leverage can involve borrowing by a Client Account to buy securities on
margin or make other investments. Leverage magnifies both the favorable and unfavorable
effects of price movements in the investments made by a Client Account, which could
subject it to substantial risk of loss. In the event of a sudden, precipitous drop in value of a
Client Account’s assets occasioned by a sudden market decline, it might not be able to
liquidate assets quickly enough to meet its margin or borrowing obligations. Also, because
acquiring and maintaining positions on margin allows a Client Account to control positions
85
worth significantly more than its investment in those positions, the amount that it stands
to lose in the event of adverse price movements is higher in relation to the amount of its
investment. In addition, since margin interest will be one of the Client Account’s expenses
and margin interest rates tend to fluctuate with interest rates generally, it is at risk that
interest rates generally, and hence margin interest rates, will increase, thereby increasing
its expenses. It is also important to note that, similar to the utilization of margin, strategies
that are implemented on an “overlay” basis allow a Client Account to control positions
worth significantly more than its investment in those positions and therefore, the amount
that it stands to lose in the event of adverse price movements is higher in relation to the
amount of its investment.
Similarly, investments could be made in companies whose capital structures have
significant leverage. To the extent a company in which a Client Account invests is leveraged,
its leveraged capital structure will increase the exposure of the company to adverse
economic factors such as rising interest rates, downturns in the economy or deteriorations
in the condition of the company or its industry sector, which could result in the account
experiencing a loss in its investment in that company.
• Limited Regulatory Oversight for Private Funds
. The Private Funds and certain of the
Portfolio Funds are not registered as investment companies under the Investment
Company Act. To the extent they are not registered, investors in such funds will not have
the benefit of the protection afforded by the Investment Company Act to investors in
registered investment companies (which, among other protections, require investment
companies to have a majority of disinterested directors, require securities held in custody
at all times to be individually segregated from the securities of any other person and
marked to clearly identify such securities as the property of such investment company, and
regulate the relationship between the adviser and the investment company).
• Limited Reporting for Private Funds.
Private Funds (including certain Portfolio Funds)
are not currently required to provide periodic pricing or valuation information to investors.
Therefore, reporting to Private Fund investors may currently be limited.
• Liquidity Risk.
Certain Client Accounts are invested in illiquid or less liquid securities
(including Semi-Liquid Private Funds, Private Equity Securities and investment grade
private credit debt securities) and securities that become illiquid. Illiquid securities are
securities that are not readily marketable, and, as a result, are generally more difficult to
purchase or sell at an advantageous price or time. A Client Account could lose money if it
cannot sell a security at the time and price that would be most beneficial to it. Further, the
lack of an established secondary market often makes it more difficult to value illiquid
securities, which could vary from the amount the Client Account could realize upon
disposition. From time to time, the trading market for a particular investment in which a
Client Account invests, or a particular instrument in which a Client Account is invested, can
become less liquid or even illiquid.
During periods of substantial market volatility, an
investment or even an entire market segment could become illiquid, sometimes abruptly,
which can adversely affect the Client Account’s ability to limit losses. Judgment plays a
greater role in pricing these investments than it does in pricing investments having more
86
active markets, and there is a greater risk that the investments will not be sold for the price
at which they are carried. The sale of some illiquid securities is often subject to legal
restrictions, which could be costly to the Client Account.
Redemption Risk
Certain Client Accounts hold securities that are illiquid or less liquid and cannot be
transferred or redeemed for a substantial period of time, and there is often little or no near-
term cash flow available to investors in the interim. Likewise, it is possible that a Client
Account does not receive any distributions representing the return of capital on an illiquid
security for an indefinite period of time. Unexpected episodes of illiquidity, including due
to market factors, instrument or issuer-specific factors or unanticipated outflows, could
limit a Client Account’s ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time period
or could force a Client Account to sell securities at an unfavorable time or under
” in this
unfavorable conditions in order to meet redemptions. See also “
Item 8.C.
For Client Accounts that can invest in liquid and illiquid investments, NBIA and its
employees have an incentive to recommend, or invest the Client Account in, illiquid or less
liquid investments because to the extent the Client Account is restricted in, or prohibited
from, selling the illiquid or less liquid asset, NBIA could continue to receive advisory fees
(and NBIA employee could continue to be compensated) so long as the asset is held in the
Client Account.
• Litigation.
Foreclosures and reorganizations are contentious and adversarial. It is by no
means unusual for market participants to use the threat of, as well as actual, litigation as a
negotiating technique. For example, it is possible for the Firm or Client Accounts that invest
in distressed debt or the residential real estate private credit strategies to be named as
defendants in civil proceedings relating to certain of such accounts’ investments. The
expense of defending against such claims and paying any resulting settlements or
judgments will generally be borne by the relevant Client Account. Any indemnification
obligations would adversely affect such Client Account’s returns.
• Market Volatility.
Markets are at times volatile and values of individual securities and
other investments can decline significantly, and sometimes rapidly, in response to adverse
issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that could cause
broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and
adverse investor sentiment. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and
public health risks could add to instability in world economies and markets generally.
Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer could impact a market as a whole. If a
Client Account sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it would miss out
on opportunities for better performance.
• Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) Risk.
MLPs are limited partnerships that are
publicly traded and have the tax benefits of a limited partnership and the liquidity of a
publicly traded company. Investments in securities (units) of MLPs involve risks that differ
from an investment in common stock. Holders of the units of MLPs have more limited
control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. For example, unit
87
holders often do not elect the general partner or the directors of the general partner and
they have limited ability to remove an MLP’s general partner. MLPs are often permitted to
issue additional common units without unit holder approval, which would dilute existing
unit holders. In addition, conflicts of interest exist between common unit holders,
subordinated unit holders and the general partner of an MLP, including a conflict arising as
a result of incentive distribution payments. As an income producing investment, MLPs
could be affected by increases in interest rates and inflation. There are also certain tax risks
associated with an investment in units of MLPs, including the risk of depreciation recapture
upon disposition, the risk of adjustments to income resulting from partnership-level tax
audits and the risk of exposure to income taxes in multiple states.
• MiFID II Risks.
EU
MiFID II
”) Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (“
There is a risk that certain Client Accounts will be subject to non-U.S.
regulations that are inconsistent with NBIA’s standard trading practices. For example, the
European Union (“
”) and
related regulations limit a manager’s ability to receive products and services from
executing brokers (as such terms are defined therein). While NBIA is not directly subject
to these regulations, NBIA could adjust its standard trading practices on a case-by-case
basis to accommodate compliance with MiFID II and other non-U.S. regulations by certain
Client Accounts and affiliates. These accommodations include, but are not limited to:
expanded use of client commission arrangements, commission-sharing arrangements and
similar arrangements; enhanced reporting on client commissions and the products and
services obtained; and non-participation in the generation of soft dollar credits. NBIA
expects the effective commission rates in these circumstances to be substantially similar to
those paid by similarly situated Client Accounts. However, as a result of these
accommodations, Clients or investors in Client Accounts from certain jurisdictions will
likely account for a lower percentage of soft dollar credits than otherwise similar investors
(in such Client Accounts or otherwise) from other jurisdictions.
The complexity, operational costs and reduction in flexibility occasioned by MiFID II
compliance may be further compounded as a result of Brexit, because the UK is both: (i) no
longer generally required to transpose EU law into UK law; and (ii) electing to transpose
certain EU legislation into UK law subject to various amendments and subject to the UK
Financial Conduct Authority’s oversight rather than that of EU regulators. Taken together,
(i) and (ii) could result in divergence between the UK and EU regulatory frameworks.
• Model Valuations Risk.
Certain investments made by NBIA, including those in asset-
backed securities and mortgage loans, will be based, in part, on complex models that
incorporate a range of different inputs. Inadequate or incorrect factual information,
misstated assumptions, as well as unforeseeable changes in economic factors can cause
these models to yield materially inaccurate valuations — even if the model is
fundamentally sound. Moreover, there can be no assurance that NBIA’s models are
fundamentally sound or contain fully accurate data. The models used by NBIA will typically
require certain market forecasts that are based on analytical models and assumptions.
There can be no assurance that such models are accurate or that assumptions are not
oversimplified, which would adversely affect market forecasts leading to potential losses
and cash flow insufficiencies.
88
• Private Funds, Registered PE Funds, Portfolio Funds and Private Investments- Lack
of Liquidity.
There is no public market for interests in the Private Funds, Registered PE
Funds, Interval Funds or Semi-Liquid Private Funds, certain Portfolio Funds and Private
Investments. Substantial transfer or redemption restrictions typically exist with respect to
those interests, and there is often little or no near-term cash flow available to investors in
the interim. With respect to Private Funds, Registered PE Funds, and Portfolio Funds, Client
Accounts and investors can only redeem all or any permissible part of their investments in
accordance with the governing or other relevant documents, which generally requires the
consent of the relevant GP Entity or investment adviser. With respect to the Interval Funds,
although the Interval Funds will provide liquidity through quarterly repurchase offers,
interests or shares will not be redeemable at an investor’s option nor will they be
exchangeable for shares of any other fund. As a result, an investor may not be able to sell
or otherwise liquidate their interests or shares. Where redemption rights are available,
those rights can be suspended under certain circumstances. Moreover, it is possible that
Private Funds, Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Portfolio Funds and Private
Investments will not receive any distributions representing the return of capital for an
indefinite period of time.
• Non-U.S. and Emerging Markets Risk.
fluctuations
Connect Program
Non-U.S. securities involve risks in addition to
those associated with comparable U.S. securities and can be more volatile and experience
more rapid and extreme changes in price than U.S. securities. Additional risks include
exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political or economic
instability;
in non-U.S. currencies and concurrent exchange risk;
nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks;
less stringent auditing, accounting, financial reporting and legal standards; excessive
taxation; and exchange control regulations. Adverse conditions in a particular region could
negatively affect securities of countries whose economies appear to be unrelated or not
interdependent. Compared to the United States, non-U.S. governments and markets often
have less stringent accounting, disclosure and financial reporting requirements. As a
result, non-U.S. securities can fluctuate more widely in price, and are often less liquid, than
comparable U.S. securities. Securities markets of countries other than the U.S. are generally
smaller than U.S. securities markets with a limited number of issuers representing fewer
industries. In many countries, there is less publicly available and lower quality information
about issuers than is available in the reports and ratings published about issuers in the U.S.
The investment in less liquid non-U.S. securities could affect the investments under a
strategy that utilizes these types of securities. For example, with respect to Client Accounts
that invest in China A-shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program
”), the Connect Program is subject to quota limitations and an investor
(“
cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which restricts a Client
Account’s ability to invest in China A-shares through the Connect Program and to enter into
or exit trades on a timely basis. Further, trades on the Connect Program are subject to
certain requirements prior to trading. If those requirements are not completed prior to the
market opening, a Client Account cannot sell the shares on that trading day. There is no
assurance that the necessary systems required to operate the Connect Program will
function properly, and trading through the Connect Program could be disrupted.
89
Emerging markets are those of countries with immature economic and political structures.
Investing in emerging markets often involves heightened and significant risks and special
considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies
or securities markets. Such risks include: (i) greater social, economic and political
uncertainty including war; (ii) higher dependence on exports and the corresponding
importance of international trade; (iii) greater risk of inflation; (iv) increased likelihood of
governmental involvement in and control over the economies; (v) governmental decisions
to cease support of economic reform programs or to impose centrally planned economies;
(vi) the possibility of nationalization, expropriation, confiscatory tax policies and social
instability; and (vii) considerations regarding the maintenance of a Client Account’s
securities and cash with non-U.S. brokers and custodians.
Companies in emerging markets are generally subject to less stringent and less uniform
accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and disclosure
requirements than those applicable to companies in developed countries. Securities
markets in emerging market countries often have substantially less volume of trading and
are generally more volatile than securities markets of developed countries. In certain
periods, there is little liquidity in such markets. There is often less government regulation
of stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies in emerging market countries than in
developed market countries. Commissions for trading on emerging markets stock
exchanges are generally higher than commissions for trading on developed market
exchanges. Settlement of trades in some non-U.S. markets is much slower and more subject
to failure than in U.S. markets. In addition, custodial or settlement systems are often not
fully developed in emerging market countries, thereby exposing a Client Account to the risk
of a sub-custodian’s failure with no recourse against the custodian.
Many of the laws that govern private and foreign investment, securities transactions and
other contractual relationships in emerging markets are new and largely untested. As a
result, investing in emerging markets involves a number of unusual risks, including
inadequate investor protection, contradictory legislation, incomplete, unclear and
changing laws, ignorance or breaches of regulations on the part of other market
participants, lack of established or effective avenues for legal redress, lack of standard
practices and confidentiality customs characteristic of developed markets and lack of
enforcement of existing regulations. Furthermore, it can be difficult to obtain and enforce
a judgment in certain emerging markets.
securities’ prices and
liquidity of
Emerging market securities also will be affected by general economic and market
conditions, such as exchange rates, interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates,
economic uncertainty, changes in laws, trade barriers, currency exchange controls and
national and international political circumstances. These factors affect the level and
volatility of
the Client Account’s
the
investments. Volatility or illiquidity could impair a Client Account’s profitability or result
in losses.
PRC
Specifically, investments in the People’s Republic of China (“
special considerations not typically associated with Anglosphere markets (
i.e.,
”) involve certain risks and
Australia,
90
Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the U.S.), such as greater government control over the
economy, political and legal uncertainty, controls imposed by the PRC authorities on
foreign exchange and movements in exchanges rates (which impact the operations and
financial results of PRC companies), risks related to the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI)
scheme, confiscatory taxation, the risk that the PRC government will decide not to continue
to support economic reform programs, the risk of nationalization or expropriation of
assets, lack of uniform auditing and accounting standards, less publicly available financial
and other information, potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations and
limitations on the ability to distribute dividends due to currency exchange issues, which
could likely result in risk of loss of favorable tax treatment.
Additionally, the liquidity and availability of certain securities of Chinese issuers may be
adversely affected by international sanctions, including those imposed by the United States.
In mid-2021, the U.S. government announced a new sanctions program imposing
restrictions on transactions by U.S. persons in publicly traded securities of certain
designated Chinese issuers in the defense and surveillance sectors, as well as restrictions
on transactions in derivatives and securities designed to provide investment exposure to
those securities. A number of Chinese issuers have been designated under this program
and more could be added. Separately, in August 2023, the U.S. government established a
program to prohibit or require notification of certain types of outbound investments by U.S.
persons into entities located in “countries of concern,” including China, involved in specific
categories of advanced technologies and products, including semiconductors and
Outbound Investment Security Program
microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence (the
”). Other jurisdictions could be designated as
“
“countries of concern.” The U.S. Treasury issued a final rule implementing the Outbound
Investment Security Program in October 2024, which became effective on January 2, 2025.
Although the full effect of these restrictions is unclear, they may significantly reduce the
liquidity of securities of Chinese issuers, force a Client Account to sell certain positions at
inopportune times or for unfavorable prices, and restrict future investments by a Client
Account.
The Japanese economy may be subject to economic, political and social instability, which
could have an adverse effect on Japanese securities held in Client Accounts. The Japanese
market can experience significant volatility due to exchange rates, social, political,
regulatory, economic or environmental events and natural disasters that may occur in
Japan.
The Japanese economy has only recently emerged from a prolonged economic downturn.
Since the year 2000, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low. The
Japanese economy is characterized by government intervention and protectionism,
reliance on oil imports, a highly regulated labor market, an aging demographic, declining
population, and large government debt. As such, economic growth is heavily dependent on
continued growth in international trade, relatively low commodities prices, government
support of the financial services sector and other government policies. Japan is heavily
dependent on oil and other commodity imports, and higher commodity prices could
therefore have a negative impact on the Japanese economy. International trade,
91
particularly with the U.S., also impacts the growth of the Japanese economy, and adverse
economic conditions in the U.S. or other trade partners may affect Japan. The Japanese yen
has fluctuated widely at times, and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports
that could weaken the Japanese economy. In addition, the yen has had a history of
unpredictable and volatile movements against the U.S. dollar.
Japan also has a growing economic relationship with China and other Southeast Asian
countries, and thus Japan’s economy may also be affected by economic, political or social
instability in those countries (whether resulting from local or global events). Other factors,
such as the occurrence of natural disasters and relations with neighboring countries
(including China, North Korea and Russia), may also negatively impact the Japanese
economy.
• New Fund Risk.
It is possible that a new fund will not be successful in implementing its
investment strategy (including where the fund uses a new strategy), or that its investment
strategy will not be successful under all future market conditions, either of which could
without shareholder approval,
result in the fund being liquidated at some future time
where applicable, or at a time that is not favorable for certain shareholders. New funds
often do not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment, trading or other efficiencies.
• Operational Risk.
NBIA uses service providers from time to time in connection with its
products. A Client Account’s ability to transact with NBIA can be negatively impacted due
to operational risks arising from, among other problems, systems and technology
disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. The occurrence of any of these problems
could result in a loss of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and other
consequences, any of which could have a material adverse effect on NBIA or its clients.
NBIA, through its monitoring and oversight of its service providers, endeavors to
determine that service providers take appropriate precautions to avoid and mitigate risks
that could lead to such problems. However, it is not possible for NBIA or its service
providers to identify all of the operational risks that will affect NBIA or to develop processes
and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.
Specifically, with the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence
of computer systems to perform necessary business functions, NBIA and its service
providers have become more susceptible to operational and related risks through breaches
in cybersecurity. A cybersecurity incident refers to intentional or unintentional events that
enable an unauthorized party to gain access to client assets, customer data, or proprietary
information (such as, for example, through “hacking” activity), or cause NBIA to suffer data
corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents may include, for
example, phishing, use of stolen access credentials, structured query language attacks,
infection from or spread of malware, ransomware, computer viruses or other malicious
software code, corruption of data, and any other form of attack that shuts down, disables,
slows or otherwise disrupts operations, business processes or website or internet access,
or functionality or performance. Attacks using ransomware, which is a type of software
that threatens to publish or block certain data unless a ransom fee is paid, have risen in
92
recent years. Those and other types of cybersecurity incidents are becoming increasingly
sophisticated. It is likely that new cybersecurity threats will be developed in the future.
denial of services
A cybersecurity incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of Client
Account data or funds, clients or employees being unable to access electronic systems
”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical
(“
damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system
repairs. Any of these results could have a substantial adverse impact on Client Accounts.
For example, if a cybersecurity incident results in a denial of service, service providers for
a particular Client Account could be unable to access electronic systems to perform critical
duties for such Client Account, such as trading, NAV calculation or other accounting
functions. Further, Client Accounts could also be exposed to losses resulting from the
unauthorized use of their personal information. Cybersecurity incidents could cause NBIA
or one of its service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage,
additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss of a
significant magnitude. Cybersecurity incidents could also cause NBIA to violate, or result
in allegations that NBIA has violated, applicable privacy and other laws. NBIA has
established risk management systems that seek to reduce the risks associated with
cybersecurity threats, and has established business continuity plans to enable NBIA to
continue operating following a potential cybersecurity breach. However, there are
inherent limitations to these systems and plans, including the possibility that certain risks
may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may
emerge in the future. Furthermore, NBIA does not control the cybersecurity systems and
plans of the issuers of securities in which Client Accounts invest, or of NBIA’s third-party
service providers or trading counterparties. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers
in which a Client Account invests and thereby cause a Client Account’s portfolio
investments to lose value.
• Options.
NBIA invests in options on behalf of certain Client Accounts. Purchasing put and
call options, as well as writing such options, are highly specialized activities and entail
greater than ordinary investment risks. Although an option buyer’s risk is limited to the
amount of the original investment for the purchase of the option, an investment in an option
could be subject to greater fluctuation than is an investment in the underlying securities.
In theory, the writer (seller) of an uncovered call is subject to unlimited losses, but as a
practical matter, the amount of potential loss is likely to be limited by reason of the option
having only a limited term. The risk for a writer of a put option is that the price of the
underlying securities will fall below the exercise price. The ability to trade in or exercise
options could be restricted in the event that trading in the underlying securities interest
becomes restricted. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other
things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in
interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying
instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary
policies and by national and international political and economic events, as will the
performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument. As such, prior to the exercise or
expiration of the option, the Client Account is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning
the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option could increase due to market and
93
economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the
underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.
Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying
instrument, expiration date, contract size, and strike price, the terms of OTC options
(options not traded on exchanges) are generally established through negotiation with the
other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows a Client Account
greater flexibility to tailor an option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater
credit risk than exchange-traded options, in which the counterparty is a clearing
organization.
The market price of options written by a Client Account will be affected by many factors,
including changes in the market price or dividend rates of underlying securities (or in the
case of indices, the securities comprising such indices); changes in interest rates or
exchange rates; changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the relevant stock market
and underlying securities; and the time remaining before an option’s expiration. The
market price of an option also could be adversely affected if the market for the option
becomes less liquid. In addition, since an American-style option allows the holder to
exercise its rights any time prior to the option’s expiration, the writer of an American-style
option has no control over when it will be required to fulfill its obligations as a writer of the
option. (This risk is not present when writing a European-style option since the holder can
only exercise the option on its expiration date.) There is also a risk of loss associated with
the inability to close out of existing positions if those options were to become unavailable.
In addition, regulatory agencies often impose exercise restrictions that prevent the holder
of an option from realizing value.
For custom covered call strategies, in addition to the applicable risks described above,
while clients may elect to seek to avoid options exercise, the avoidance of option exercise
is not guaranteed, and there may be resulting tax consequences. Moreover, generally, the
strategy is utilized where the client has a large holding in the underlying stock. As a result
of the concentration, the Client Account will be particularly susceptible to adverse events
impacting the applicable company, sector, or industry.
The fees to NBIA for certain of the options strategies are calculated based on target notional
exposure/value. The target notional exposure/value is often higher or lower than the
actual notional exposure for the Client Account. In addition, some of these strategies are
implemented on an “overlay” basis. In these cases, the fees paid by client will be duplicative
• Participation on Creditors’ Committee Risk.
in relation to the actual assets invested by client.
Although it has no obligation to do so,
NBIA, on behalf of one or more Client Accounts, may participate on committees formed by
creditors to negotiate the potential restructuring of financially troubled companies that
may or may not be in bankruptcy or the Client Account may seek to negotiate directly with
the debtors with respect to restructuring issues. If a Client Account does join a creditors’
committee, the participants on the committee would be interested in obtaining an outcome
that is in each of their respective best interests and there can be no assurance of obtaining
94
results most favorable to the Client Account in such proceedings. While such involvement
may enable NBIA to enhance the value of a Client Account’s portfolio investments, it may
also prevent the Client Account from freely disposing of such portfolio investments, while
also exposing it to legal claims and adverse publicity (including claims of breach of fiduciary
duties, securities claims and other management-related claims). NBIA may also be
provided with material non-public information that may restrict its ability to trade in a
company’s securities or be subject to other limitations on trading. To the extent a Client
Account would otherwise benefit from trades in the company’s securities while NBIA is
participating in such activities, NBIA may be restricted from trading or otherwise limited
in its ability to trade on behalf of the Client Account. See Item 11.D.1.
• Performance-Based Fees and Allocations.
In some cases,
NBIA, its affiliates, and the
Portfolio Managers receive Performance Fees or other special allocations based on the
returns to its investors. Performance Fees and allocations create incentives for NBIA, its
affiliates, and the Portfolio Managers to make more risky or speculative investments, or
otherwise make investment decisions due to such incentives, than they would otherwise
make. In addition, to the extent that a Client Account subject to a Performance Fee is
invested in one or more Portfolio Funds or Separate Accounts that itself is also subject to a
Performance Fee, the Client Account will generally be subject to two levels of Performance
Fees. Consequently, the returns to investors will be lower than returns to a direct investor
in the Portfolio Fund or Separate Account.
• Projections
. NBIA will make investments relying, in part, upon projections it has
developed concerning an issuer or its securities or other assets’ future performance, cash
flow, recovery value and other factors. Projections are inherently uncertain and subject to
factors beyond the control of NBIA. The inaccuracy of certain assumptions, the failure of
an issuer to satisfy certain financial requirements and the occurrence of unforeseen events
could cause any such projection to be materially inaccurate. Investors should therefore
carefully examine the assumptions behind a particular projection or targeted return.
• Proxy Contests and Unfriendly Transactions.
From time to time, a Client Account could
purchase securities of a company that is the subject of a proxy contest in the expectation
that new governance will be able to improve the company’s performance or effect a sale or
liquidation of its assets so that the price of the company’s securities will increase. If an
incumbent board of a targeted company is not defeated or if new board members are
unable to improve the company’s performance or sell or liquidate the company, the market
price of the company’s securities (or those that use the company as a reference) will likely
fall, which would cause the Client Account to suffer losses. In addition, where an acquisition
or restructuring transaction or proxy fight is opposed by the subject company’s
management, the transaction could become the subject of litigation. Such litigation
involves substantial uncertainties and could impose substantial cost and expense on the
company participating in the transaction.
• Quantitative Trading/Tools Risk.
Quantitative investment strategies rely heavily on
proprietary quantitative models in seeking to exploit short-term and long-term
relationships among securities prices and volatility. The models employed could be ill-
95
suited to prevailing market conditions or could be unreliable, especially where unusual
events specific to particular corporations or major events external to the operation of
markets causes extreme market moves that are inconsistent with the historic correlation
and volatility structure of the market. The models are often formulated based on past
market data which could be a poor indicator of future price movements. Models also often
have hidden biases or exposure to broad structural or sentiment shifts. In the event actual
events fail to conform to the assumptions underlying the models, losses could be incurred.
• Recent Market Conditions.
Events in certain sectors can result in an unusually high
degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. Those events have
included, but are not limited to: bankruptcies, corporate restructurings, and other similar
events; governmental efforts to limit short selling and high frequency trading; measures to
address U.S. federal and state budget deficits; tariffs, trade disputes, and trade wars;
consumer boycotts; social, political, and economic instability in Europe; economic stimulus
by the Japanese central bank; sudden shifts in oil prices; dramatic changes in currency
exchange rates; China's economic slowdown; and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the
numerous sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community in response; the
Israel-Hamas Conflict (as defined below); and the attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Relatively high volatility and reduced liquidity in fixed income and credit markets could
negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which would have an adverse effect on Client
Accounts.
debt ceiling
In the United States, political and diplomatic events, including a contentious domestic
political environment, changes in political party control of one or more branches of the U.S.
government, the U.S. government’s inability at times to agree on a long-term budget and
deficit reduction plan, the threat of a U.S. government shutdown, and disagreements over,
or threats not to increase, the U.S. government’s borrowing limit (or “
”), as well
as political and diplomatic events abroad, may affect investor and consumer confidence and
may adversely affect financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to
a significant degree. A downgrade of the ratings of U.S. government debt obligations, or
concerns about the U.S. government’s credit quality in general, could have a substantial
negative effect on the U.S. and global economies. Moreover, although the U.S. government
has honored its credit obligations, it remains possible that the United States could default
on its obligations. The consequences of such an unprecedented event are impossible to
predict, but it is likely that a default by the United States would be highly disruptive to the
U.S. and global securities markets and could significantly impair the value of a Client
Account’s investments.
Federal Reserve decisions on interest rates and monetary policy are difficult to predict and
may shift rapidly in response to economic and market conditions, materially affecting
securities prices and the broader U.S. economy. After an extended period of unusually low
rates, the Federal Reserve raised rates in 2022–2023 to address elevated inflation, later
holding rates steady before implementing multiple interest rate cuts beginning in 2024.
Further actions by the Federal Reserve or foreign central banks, including measures to
stimulate or stabilize growth or interventions in currency markets, could contribute to
heightened market volatility.
96
As noted above, the U.S. is also renegotiating many of its global trade relationships and has
imposed or threatened to impose significant import tariffs, including against China, Canada,
and Mexico. The imposition of tariffs, trade restrictions and sanctions, currency
restrictions, or similar actions (or retaliatory measures taken in response to such actions)
could lead to price volatility, inflation, declines in investor and consumer confidence,
reductions in international trade, unemployment, and overall declines in U.S. and global
investment markets. These actions may also have consequences that cannot now be
foreseen, which may create a climate of uncertainty in the marketplace. Such uncertainty
may adversely affect all economies and reduce the availability or value of investments and
the performance of Client Accounts.
In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the U.S. and many non-
U.S. economies will decline over time, known as deflation (the opposite of inflation).
Deflation could have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and would
make defaults on debt more likely. If a country’s economy slips into a deflationary pattern,
it could last for a prolonged period and is often difficult to reverse.
Events such as limited liquidity, bank failures, defaults, counterparty non-performance or
related concerns or rumors (which may be amplified by digital communications) can
trigger market-wide liquidity stress and broader financial market disruption that could
adversely affect NBIA. Recent banking turmoil, including the closures and FDIC
receiverships of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March 2023 and subsequent
governmental actions to protect depositors, illustrates how quickly liquidity concerns can
spread; however, there is no assurance that similar measures would be taken in future
institution failures. If any parties with which NBIA does business are unable to access
deposits or funds under instruments or lending arrangements at other financial
institutions, their credit quality and ability to meet obligations to NBIA or enter into new
arrangements requiring additional payments to NBIA could be adversely affected.
SWIFT
from
the Society
for Worldwide
The war between Russia and Ukraine has had, and could continue to have, severe adverse
effects on regional and global economic markets for securities and commodities. Following
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, various governments, including the
United States, have issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia, including,
among other actions, a prohibition on doing business with certain Russian companies, large
financial institutions, officials and oligarchs; the removal by certain countries and the EU of
selected Russian banks
Interbank Financial
”), the electronic banking network that connects banks
Telecommunications (“
globally; and restrictive measures to prevent the Russian Central Bank from undermining
the impact of the sanctions. The current events, including sanctions and the potential for
future sanctions, including any impacting Russia’s energy sector, and other actions, and
Russia’s retaliatory responses to those sanctions and actions, have had, and may continue
to have, an adverse effect on both the Russian and Ukrainian economies and on global
markets performance and liquidity, thereby negatively affecting the value of a Client
Account’s investments beyond any direct exposure to Russian and Ukrainian issuers. The
duration of ongoing hostilities and related events cannot be predicted, and those events
97
present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the
performance of a Client Account and its investments or operations could be negatively
impacted.
Israel-
Since October 7, 2023 when Hamas carried out terrorist attacks in Israel, armed conflict
Hamas Conflict
between Israel and Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas has continued (the “
”). Although the parties agreed to a ceasefire in early 2025, the ceasefire
has been broken numerous times and there is no guarantee that it will hold. The conflict
could reignite and intensify, drawing in additional regional actors and creating uncertainty
around diplomatic relations between Israel and various Arab nations. The broader impact
of this unrest may undermine any current or future agreements in the region, threatening
stability and creating economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The effects of the Israel-
Hamas Conflict may be far-reaching and could result in significant negative impacts to
Client Accounts.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions and military conflict involving the United States, Israel, and
Iran have contributed to increased volatility and uncertainty in global markets. Following
missile strikes in Iran in February 2026, instability in the Middle East has intensified,
including airspace closures, damage to critical transportation infrastructure, and the
effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global transit route for petroleum. Reports
of commercial vessels being struck around the Strait of Hormuz in early March 2026 further
underscore the heightened risk to maritime traffic and global energy supply chains. These
events, and the potential for further escalation or expansion of the conflicts to additional
regions, have had, and may continue to have, adverse effects on global economic conditions,
market liquidity, and energy markets. The duration and ultimate impact of these
developments cannot be predicted, and they present material uncertainty and risk that
could negatively affect the performance of Client Accounts and their investments.
Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases
the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a
different country or region. In recent years, there have been periods of extended volatility
and disruption in the global financial markets. The risks of potential trade wars, tariffs and
supply chain disruptions, the threat of attacks by terrorist organizations, volatility in the
Middle East (including conflict in Syria, Libya and Yemen and concerns over a nuclear Iran),
the possibility of U.S.-China “decoupling,” North Korean nuclear missile capabilities, the
continued impacts of the UK’s departure from the EU under “Brexit,” and escalations in the
conflict between Russia and Ukraine spreading to NATO or other European countries,
among other things, may contribute to substantial future volatility in global financial
markets. Volatility and disruption in the equity and credit markets could adversely affect
a Client Account’s investments, which, in turn, would adversely affect the performance of
such Client Account. In addition, volatility may directly affect the market prices of
securities issued by many companies for reasons unrelated to their operating performance
and may adversely affect the valuation of a Client Account’s investments. Any or all of these
factors could result in lower investment returns for a Client Account.
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Those and other events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an
adverse effect on Client Accounts. Because the impact on the markets has been widespread,
it may be difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay
of market forces, or to predict the duration of these market conditions. Changes in market
conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities.
• Redemption Risk.
A Client Account could experience periods of large or frequent
redemptions that could cause a Client Account to sell assets at inopportune times or at a
loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors
or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in a Client Account, have short
investment horizons, or have unpredictable cash flow needs. In addition, redemption risk
is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large or frequent
redemptions, whether by a few large investors or many smaller investors, could hurt a
Client Account’s performance. A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause
investors to move out of fixed income securities on a large scale, which would likely
increase redemptions from Client Accounts that hold large amounts of fixed income
securities. Such a move, coupled with a reduction in the ability or willingness of dealers and
other institutional investors to buy or hold fixed income securities would likely result in
• Reliance on Corporate Management and Financial Reporting.
decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.
NBIA will select
investments for Client Accounts in part on the basis of information and data filed by issuers
of securities with various government regulators, publicly available or made directly
available to NBIA by such issuers or third parties. Although NBIA will evaluate that
information and data and seek independent corroboration when it considers it appropriate
and reasonably available, NBIA will not always be in a position to confirm the completeness,
genuineness or accuracy of such information and data. NBIA is dependent upon the
integrity of the management of such issuers and of such third parties as well as the financial
reporting process in general. Client Accounts can incur material losses as a result of
corporate mismanagement, fraud and accounting irregularities relating to issuers of
securities or other assets they hold.
• Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements.
In a repurchase
agreement, the Client Account purchases securities from a bank or securities dealer that
agrees to repurchase the securities from the Client Account at a higher price on demand or
on a designated future date. Repurchase agreements generally are for a short period of
time, usually less than a week. Costs, delays or losses could result if the selling party to a
repurchase agreement becomes bankrupt or otherwise defaults.
A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a security, with an agreement to
repurchase the same or substantially similar securities at an agreed upon price and date.
As such, they are a form of financing and leverage. Whether such a transaction produces a
gain for the Client Account depends upon the cost of the agreement and the income and
gains on the securities purchased with the proceeds received from the sale of the
repurchased security. If the income and gain on the securities purchased fail to exceed the
costs, or if the Client Account incurs a loss on such securities, the Client Account will incur
99
a loss on the leveraged transactions. As a leveraging technique, reverse repurchase
agreements often increase a Client Account’s yield; however, such transactions also
increase the Client Account’s risks and could result in a loss of principal.
• Risks of Investing in Affiliated Portfolio Funds.
Certain Client Accounts invest in
Affiliated Portfolio Funds. The investment performance of such a Client Account is directly
related to the investment performance of those Affiliated Portfolio Funds and to the
allocation of its assets among those Affiliated Portfolio Funds. When a Client Account
invests in Affiliated Portfolio Funds it is exposed to the same principal risks as the Affiliated
Portfolio Funds as well as to the Affiliated Portfolio Funds’ expenses in direct proportion to
the allocation of its assets to the Affiliated Portfolio Funds, which could result in the
duplication of certain fees, including, where applicable, management and administration
fees.
• Risks Relating to the Wealth Advisory Program.
With respect to the Wealth Advisory
Program, NBIA provides discretionary or non-discretionary investment advisory services
by allocating assets among the proprietary and non-proprietary strategies available
through the Wealth Advisory Program. Accordingly, clients should consider the risk factors
provided in this Item 8.C to the extent they are applicable to any of the strategies in which
a Client Account invests. Generally, a client will pay more if the client invests in a strategy
The Wealth Advisory Program
through the Wealth Advisory Program than if the client invests in the strategy directly.
” in Item 8.B, the investment
As further described in “
strategies that are available through the Wealth Advisory Program are generally limited to
(i) proprietary strategies and (ii) non-proprietary strategies deemed complementary to the
proprietary strategies by the Wealth Investment Group. Third-Party Separate Account
strategies are limited to those approved by the Third-Party SMA Provider. In addition, on
a limited basis, the Wealth Investment Group will, specifically for one or more client
accounts, approve a complementary non-proprietary strategy not generally available in the
Wealth Advisory Program. While the Third-Party SMA Provider and NBIA perform due
diligence on the non-proprietary strategies, there can be no assurance that the strategies
included will perform well or perform better than strategies that were not included. With
respect to Third-Party Separate Account strategies, while NBIA will perform its own due
diligence, NBIA, in part and where applicable, relies on the information provided by Third-
Party SMA Provider about those non-proprietary strategies and their managers. To the
extent that information is inaccurate, the strategies selected for inclusion in the Wealth
Advisory Program or the strategies selected for any Wealth Program Client could invest
and perform differently than anticipated.
NBIA and its employees generally have an incentive to allocate the client’s assets in, or
recommend, proprietary strategies or the strategies of its own portfolio management team
as doing so will generally result in increased revenue to NBIA and its affiliates (and
accordingly, increased compensation for their employees). The performance of the
proprietary strategies depends on the skill of NBIA and its portfolio manager(s) in making
appropriate investment decisions. To the extent a proprietary strategy experiences poor
100
performance, this would negatively affect the performance of the Client Accounts invested
therein. In addition, it is possible that the Client Account would perform better if invested
in non-proprietary strategies (or in proprietary strategies managed by other portfolio
management teams). It is also possible that non-proprietary strategies that would have
outperformed proprietary strategies were not included on the Wealth Advisory Program
because those non-proprietary strategies were not deemed to be complementary to the
proprietary strategies.
Dependence on NBIA
Independent Portfolio Managers
Investment Analyses,
The specific strategies implemented for clients investing through the Wealth Advisory
Program can be reflective of the top-down macro and asset class views of the NBIA
employee exercising investment discretion over the Client Accounts. Those views often
differ from the views of other NBIA employees and those of the Neuberger Asset Allocation
Committee, Neuberger Multi-Asset Strategy team or the Wealth Investment Group.
Alternatively, those views can take into account the views of other NBIA employees or those
of the Neuberger Asset Allocation Committee, Neuberger Multi-Asset Strategy team or the
Wealth Investment Group. For example, an NBIA employee could utilize asset allocation
models provided by the Wealth Investment Group. In either case, it is possible that the
Client Account would have performed better if otherwise invested.
Verification and Valuation Risk with respect to Third-Party Portfolio Managers
,” “
,” “
”
” in this
See also “
and “
Item 8.C.
• Risks Relating to the GPS Program.
GPS is an investment advisory service under which
NBIA provides asset allocation and discretionary investment management based on
various model portfolios of Affiliated Mutual Funds and Affiliated ETFs (it is intended that
the model portfolios will also include complementary unaffiliated mutual funds and ETFs
in the future, which would be provided in the Client’s advisory agreement). Investors in
the GPS Program are subject to the risks relating to the applicable Registered Funds, and
their respective investments. In addition, investors in the GPS Program are subject to the
following material risks associated with investing in the GPS Program. Investors should
also refer to the risk factor discussions in the Registration Statement of the Registered
Model Risk.
Funds that are part of the GPS Program.
To the extent a strategy uses or implements investment models, such as asset
allocation models, performance will largely depend on the success of implementing and
managing the investment models that assist in allocating assets. Models that have been
formulated on the basis of past market data can be a poor predictor of future price
movements. Models are often not reliable if unusual or disruptive events cause market
movements, the nature or size of which are inconsistent with the historic correlation and
volatility structure of the market. Models also have hidden biases or exposure to broad
structural or sentiment shifts. In the event that actual events fail to conform to the
assumptions underlying such models, losses could be incurred.
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Asset Allocation Risk.
If a strategy, such as an asset allocation strategy, favors exposure to
an asset class during a period when that asset class underperforms other asset classes,
performance will suffer.
• Sector Risk.
To the extent a Client Account invests more heavily in particular sectors,
industries, or sub-sectors of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to
developments that significantly affect those sectors, industries, or sub-sectors. An
individual sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market can be more volatile, and can
perform differently, than the broader market. The several industries that constitute a
sector could all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A Client
Account’s performance could be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-sectors do not
perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or
industries could adversely affect performance.
• Separate Account Allocations.
Some Private Funds will place assets with Portfolio
Managers by opening a Separate Account rather than investing in a Portfolio Fund. Separate
Accounts expose the underlying portfolio to theoretically unlimited liability, and it is
possible that a Private Fund could lose more in a Separate Account managed by a particular
Third-Party Portfolio Manager than if the Private Fund had invested in a Portfolio Fund.
• Short Sale Risk
. Short sales are subject to special risks. A short sale involves the sale by a
Client Account of a security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same
security at a later date at a lower price. A Client Account could also enter into a short
position through a forward commitment or a short derivative position through a futures
contract or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative has increased during
this time, then the account will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that
the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party.
Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses will be exaggerated, potentially causing a
loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment. Also, there is the risk that the
third party to the short sale will fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the
account.
• Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
SFDR
The European Union’s Regulation (EU)
2019/2088 on sustainability-related disclosures in the financial services sector (as
”) sets out certain environmental, social and
amended from time to time, the “
governance disclosure requirements
fund managers
investment
for alternative
EEA
undertaking fund management activities or marketing fund interests to investors within
the European Economic Area (“
”). In November 2025, the European Commission
proposed an overhaul of SFDR that is now in the EU legislative process with material shifts
toward a revised product-categorization regime expected. The SFDR, along with other
environmental, social and governance sustainability and requirements that may, in the
future, be imposed by other jurisdictions in which NBIA or Neuberger conduct business
and/or in which a Client Account is marketed, may result in additional compliance costs,
disclosure obligations or other implications or restrictions on the Client Account or for
NBIA or for Neuberger, including the requirement to capture information or data about the
adviser or its investments and undertake a periodic assessment of the principal adverse
102
impacts of the Client Account’s activities on sustainability factors. Additionally, NBIA may
be required to classify itself or the Client Account against certain environmental, social and
governance criteria, some of which can be open to subjective interpretation. NBIA’s view
on the appropriate classification may develop over time, including in response to statutory
or regulatory guidance or changes in industry approach to classification. A change to the
relevant classification may require further actions to be taken; for example, it may require
further disclosures by NBIA or the Client Account or it may require new processes to be set
up to capture data about the Client Account or its investments, which may lead to additional
cost to be borne by the Client Account.
• Swaps.
NBIA utilizes swaps for certain Client Accounts where it believes it will further the
objectives of a Client Account that permits such instruments. Swap agreements historically
have been OTC, two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for
periods typically ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap
transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return)
earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which are
often adjusted for an interest factor. There are various types of swaps, including total
return swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate swaps; all of these and other swaps are
derivatives and as such, each is subject to the general risks relating to derivatives described
herein.
The Dodd-Frank Act created a regulatory framework for trading swaps in the United States.
Under the Dodd-Frank Act, standardized swaps are required to be executed on or subject
to the rules of designated contract markets or swap execution facilities and cleared by a
central counterparty, a derivatives clearing organization. Central clearing is intended to
reduce the risk of default by the counterparty. However, central clearing exposes Client
Accounts to the clearing organization and clearing broker risks referenced above. Central
clearing also can increase the costs of swap transactions by requiring the posting of larger
amounts of initial and variation margin than are required in OTC transactions. On the other
hand, given the longer time horizon to be covered, lesser opportunities for netting, and
likely less standardization of the instruments involved, margin on bilateral positions could
be greater. It is possible that a clearing organization or a clearing member or futures
commission merchant through which a swap is submitted for clearing will default. The
regulations to implement the Dodd-Frank Act are still being developed so there will likely
Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, and Interest Rate “Caps,” “Floors,” and “Collars.”
be further changes to the rules governing swap transactions.
In a
typical interest rate swap agreement, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to
a floating rate on a specified amount in exchange for payments equal to a fixed rate, or a
different floating rate, on the same amount for a specified period. Mortgage swap
agreements are similar to interest rate swap agreements, except the notional principal
amount is tied to a reference pool of mortgages. In an interest rate cap or floor, one party
agrees, usually in return for a fee, to make payments under particular circumstances. For
example, the purchaser of an interest rate cap has the right to receive payments to the
extent a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed level; the purchaser of an interest rate
floor has the right to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate falls below an
103
agreed level. An interest rate collar entitles the purchaser to receive payments to the extent
a specified interest rate falls outside an agreed range.
Among other techniques, a Client Account can use interest rate swaps in an effort to offset
declines in the value of fixed income securities held in the Client Account. In such an
instance, NBIA can agree with a counterparty to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional
amount) and the counterparty to pay a floating rate multiplied by the same notional
amount. If long-term interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Client
Account’s portfolio, the Client Account would receive payments under the swap that would
offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value; if interest rates fall, the Client Account
would likely lose money on the swap transaction. NBIA could also enter into constant
maturity swaps, which are a variation of the typical interest rate swap. Constant maturity
Total Return Swaps
swaps are exposed to changes in long-term interest rate movements.
TRS
. NBIA will enter into total return swaps (“
i.e.,
e.g.,
”) on behalf of certain
Client Accounts to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking
physical custody of such security or market. Thus, a Client Account would be either a total
return receiver or a total return payer. Generally, the total return payer sells to the total
return receiver an amount equal to all cash flows and price appreciation on a defined
security or asset payable at periodic times during the swap term (
credit risk) in return
the
for a periodic payment from the total return receiver based on a designated index (
Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate) and spread, plus the amount of any price
depreciation on the reference security or asset. The total return payer does not need to
own the underlying security or asset to enter into a total return swap. The final payment
at the end of the swap term includes final settlement of the current market price of the
underlying reference security or asset, and payment by the applicable party for any
appreciation or depreciation in value. Usually, collateral must be posted by the total return
receiver to secure the periodic interest-based and market price depreciation payments
depending on the credit quality of the underlying reference security and creditworthiness
of the total return receiver, and the collateral amount is marked-to-market daily equal to
the market price of the underlying reference security or asset between periodic payment
dates.
TRS agreements are often used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning
or taking physical custody of such security or market. TRS can effectively add leverage to
a Client Account because, in addition to the net assets of the Client Account, the Client
Account would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a
Client Account is the total return receiver in a TRS, then the credit risk for an underlying
asset is transferred to the Client Account in exchange for its receipt of the return
(appreciation) on that asset. If a Client Account is the total return payer, it is hedging the
downside risk of an underlying asset, but it is obligated to pay the amount of any
Contracts for Differences
appreciation on that asset.
. Certain non-U.S. Client Accounts will enter into contracts for
differences. In these transactions, the Client Account and another party assume price
positions in reference to an underlying security or other financial instrument. The
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“difference” is determined by comparing each party’s original position with the market
price of such securities or financial instruments at a pre-determined closing date. Each
party will then either receive or pay the difference, depending on the success of its
investment.
Financial markets for the securities or instruments that form the subject of a contract for
differences can fluctuate significantly. Parties to a contract for differences assume the risk
that the markets for the underlying securities will move in a direction unfavorable to their
original positions. In addition, these contracts often involve considerable economic
leverage. As a result, such contracts can lead to disproportionately large losses as well as
gains and relatively small market movements can have large impacts on the value of the
Credit Default Swaps
investment.
. In a credit default swap, the credit default protection buyer makes
periodic payments, known as premiums, to the credit default protection seller. In return,
the credit default protection seller will make a payment to the credit default protection
buyer upon the occurrence of a specified credit event. A credit default swap can refer to a
single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or assets or index of assets, each known as the
reference entity or underlying asset. A Client Account could act as either the buyer or the
seller of a credit default swap. A Client Account could buy or sell credit default protection
on a basket of issuers or assets, even if a number of the underlying assets referenced in the
basket are lower-quality debt securities. In an unhedged credit default swap, a Client
Account buys credit default protection on a single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or
assets or index of assets without owning the underlying asset or debt issued by the
reference entity. Credit default swaps involve greater and different risks than investing
directly in the referenced asset, because, in addition to market risk, credit default swaps
include liquidity, counterparty and operational risk.
i.e.,
Credit default swaps allow Client Accounts to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a
particular issuer, asset or basket of assets. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a
Client Account, the Client Account must be prepared to make such payments when due. If
a Client Account is the credit default protection seller, the Client Account will experience a
loss if a credit event occurs, and the credit of the reference entity or underlying asset has
deteriorated. If a Client Account is the credit default protection buyer, the Client Account
will be required to pay premiums to the credit default protection seller. In the case of a
physically settled credit default swap in which a Client Account is the protection seller, the
Client Account must be prepared to pay par for and take possession of the debt of a
defaulted issuer delivered to the Client Account by the credit default protection buyer. Any
loss would be partially offset by the premium payments the Client Account receives as the
seller of credit default protection. If a Client Account sells (writes) a credit default swap, it
currently intends to segregate the full notional value of the swap, except if the Client
on a broad-
Account sells a credit default swap on an index with certain characteristics (
based index and cash settled) where NBIA believes segregating only the amount out of the
money more appropriately represents the exposure of the Client Account.
105
Credit Linked Notes
CLN trust
. Certain Client Accounts will invest in CLNs. CLNs are typically issued
by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle (the “
”) that, in turn, invests in a
derivative or basket of derivatives instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate
swaps or other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain high yield, sovereign debt,
emerging markets, or other fixed income markets. Generally, investments in CLNs
represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and
payment of principal at the end of the term of the CLN. However, these payments are
conditioned on the CLN trust’s receipt of payments from, and the CLN trust’s potential
obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in
which the CLN trust invests. For example, the CLN trust could sell one or more credit
default swaps, under which the CLN trust would receive a stream of payments over the
term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect
to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default were to occur,
the stream of payments would likely stop and the CLN trust would be obligated to pay the
counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This,
in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that a Client Account would
receive as an investor in the CLN trust.
Certain Client Accounts will enter into CLNs to gain access to sovereign debt and securities
in emerging markets, particularly in markets where the Client Account is not able to
purchase securities directly due to domicile restrictions or tax restrictions or tariffs. In
such an instance, the issuer of the CLN could purchase the reference security directly or
gain exposure through a credit default swap or other derivative. Investments in CLNs are
subject to the risks associated with the underlying reference obligations and derivative
instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default risk, counterparty risk, interest
Options on Swaps (Swaptions)
rate risk, leverage risk and management risk.
. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. The
purchaser of a swaption pays a premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the
obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a
swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to
enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. Depending on the terms of the
particular option agreement, a Client Account generally will incur a greater degree of risk
when it writes a swaption than when it purchases a swaption. When a Client Account
purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it
decide to let the option expire unexercised.
• Systemic Risk.
It is possible that credit risk will arise through a default by one of several
large institutions that are dependent on one another to meet their liquidity or operational
needs, so that a default by one institution causes a series of defaults by the other
institutions. This is sometimes referred to as a “systemic risk” and often adversely affects
financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing houses, banks, securities firms
and exchanges, with which NBIA interacts on a daily basis.
• Tax Managed Investing Risk
. Investment strategies that seek to enhance after-tax
performance may be unable to fully realize strategic gains or harvest losses due to various
106
factors. Market conditions may limit the ability to generate tax losses. A tax managed
strategy may cause a client portfolio to hold a security in order to achieve more favorable
tax treatment or to sell a security in order to create tax losses. A tax loss realized by a U.S.
investor after selling a security will be negated if the investor purchases the security within
thirty days. Although NBIA avoids “wash sales” whenever possible and temporarily
restricts securities it has sold at a loss to prevent them, a wash sale can occur inadvertently
because of trading by a client in an account not managed as a tax-managed account by NBIA.
A wash sale may also be triggered by NBIA when it has sold a security for loss harvesting
and shortly thereafter the firm is directed by the client to invest a substantial amount of
cash resulting in a repurchase of the security. The wash sale rules are unclear in some cases,
and the Internal Revenue Service may find that a transaction has resulted in a wash sale
notwithstanding NBIA’s precautions.
Future tax legislation, Treasury regulations, and/or changes in guidance issued by the
Internal Revenue Service can impact the tax treatment of assets in a Client Account,
including the character, timing, and/or amount of taxable income or gains attributable to
an account. The benefit of tax-managed investing to an individual investor is dependent
upon the tax liability of that investor. Over time, the ability of an investor in a tax-managed
strategy to harvest losses may decrease and gains may build up in a securities portfolio.
NBIA uses proprietary quantitative tools and algorithms in providing implementation and
tax management services for Clients. These tools may perform differently than expected as
a result of errors, flaws, or being incomplete if such issues are not identified. This may have
an adverse effect on investment performance and result in adverse tax consequences. If the
methods on which the tools are based do not perform as expected, there is no guarantee
that the use of quantitative tools and/or algorithms will result in effective implementation
or tax management for clients.
Tax-managed investment strategies that use off-setting positions on a security or a
portfolio of securities must adhere to specific rules and provisions under the Internal
Revenue Code in order to avoid negative tax consequences. These provisions apply to an
investor’s entire investment portfolio including accounts not managed by NBIA. While
NBIA seeks to avoid “tax straddles”, an investor’s ability to realize tax benefits (e.g., defer
gains, deduct interest, convert short term gains into long term gains) might be negated by
transactions and holdings of which NBIA is not aware.
• Tax Risk
. Tax laws and regulations applicable to a Client Account are subject to change,
and unanticipated tax liabilities could be incurred by investors as a result of such changes.
A Client Account’s U.S. federal income tax liability with respect to income and gains on an
investment could exceed its overall return for such a year. Further, a Client Account could
face limitations with respect to its ability to use its allocable share of deductions and losses
from its investments in certain securities. The tax treatment of some strategies is
uncertain. Investors should consult their own tax advisors to determine the potential tax-
related consequences of investing in a Client Account.
107
• Terrorism Risk.
Terrorist attacks often lead to increased short-term market volatility and
could have long-term effects on United States and world economies and markets. Terrorist
attacks also could adversely impact interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings,
credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to a Client Account’s securities and adversely
affect such account’s service providers and operations.
• Tracking Error Risk.
Tracking error risk refers to the risk that the performance of a Client
Account does not match or correlate to that of the index it attempts to track, either on a
daily or aggregate basis. Factors such as fees and trading expenses, imperfect correlation
between the Client Account’s investments and the index, changes to the composition of the
index, regulatory policies, high portfolio turnover rate and the use of leverage all contribute
to tracking error. Tracking error risk can cause the performance of a Client Account to be
less or more than expected.
• Trading Prior to the Effective Date of Subscriptions.
Designated Non-U.S. Markets
Admission Date
In an effort to gain exposure to
investments traded in markets outside the U.S. that open for trading prior to the opening
”) in a more timely
of the New York Stock Exchange (“
manner, certain Private Funds are authorized to enter into investments during the regular
local (non-U.S.) business hours of a Designated Non-U.S. Market on the business day (U.S.
time) prior to the date on which interests are actually offered to an eligible investor (for
each investor, the “
”) where the applicable Private Fund has received such
investor’s subscription amounts (held in the relevant Private Fund’s escrow account and
not yet credited to its trading accounts), and such trades are scheduled to settle on or after
the applicable Admission Date. As a result, the subscription monies paid by an investor for
interests in connection with any subscription will be subject to investment risk with
respect to investments initiated prior to the Admission Date.
Valuation Date
In connection with subscriptions for interests from both new and existing investors, NBIA
may place orders on behalf of certain Private Funds following the New York Stock Exchange
market close time (typically 4:00 p.m. EST) on the day on which the net asset value of the
”) from time to time to gain
applicable Private Fund is calculated (the “
exposure to Designated Non-U.S. Markets in a more timely manner. In such circumstances,
NBIA may engage in such trades to reduce the degree to which the Client Accounts may
otherwise be diluted (due, for example, to the fund’s receipt of substantial aggregate
subscription proceeds). Such trades may help reduce, though generally will not necessarily
eliminate, such dilution. It is anticipated that this may be done following the acceptance of
a subscription for interests and the receipt of the corresponding capital contribution but
prior to the Admission Date. As the Admission Date relies on the Valuation Date, the
exposure to such investments will be shared among the remaining investors on the
Valuation Date and the new subscribers that entered on the Admission Date,
notwithstanding that the new subscribers for those interests were not officially entered in
the fund’s register of investors, nor the subscription amount reflected in the fund’s record
of contributions, until such Admission Date.
If there is a delay in subscription funds being moved into a fund’s trading accounts from its
escrow account, depending on the size of the applicable trades, the fund may receive a
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margin call from the broker through which the trades were effected, reducing the fund’s
assets available for investment and thereby imposing on the fund (and its investors) an
opportunity cost. Further, if there is an extended delay in moving the subscription funds
into the fund’s trading accounts, the fund may incur interest charges. If there is insufficient
collateral as a consequence of the delay, the fund could be forced to sell certain assets,
potentially resulting in a loss or reduced profit for the fund and its investors.
Each person making an initial or additional investment in certain of the Private Funds will
be liable, and will indemnify the relevant fund and NBIA, for any losses or costs arising out
of or relating to the subscription amounts not being available to the fund to invest or settle
an investment as a result of the actions or inactions of such person. The fund may not
ultimately recoup such losses or costs from the applicable investor or prospective
investors. In addition, NBIA may make investments or other portfolio decisions in
anticipation of subscriptions that it would not have made had it known that the
subscriptions would not be made, which could have an adverse effect on the fund’s portfolio
and performance.
• U.S. Regulatory Developments and Government Intervention.
Volatility in the financial
markets has resulted in increased regulation, and the need of many financial institutions
for government help has given lawmakers and regulators increased leverage. The Dodd-
Frank Act, among other things, granted regulatory authorities broad rulemaking and
enforcement authority to implement and oversee various provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act,
including comprehensive regulation of over-the-counter derivatives and consumer credit
markets. Additionally, other G-20 countries have implemented or are in the process of
adopting regulations to govern swap transactions, and particular transactions will be
subject to the laws and regulations of other jurisdictions.
Changes in political administrations could herald changes in certain policies, among them
proposals relating to the regulation of certain players in the financial markets and the
reversal or repeal of numerous rules and regulations already put in place, including by the
Dodd-Frank Act. While those proposed policies are going through the political process,
markets could react strongly to expectations, which could increase volatility, especially if a
market’s expectations for changes in government policies are not borne out.
Client Accounts are also subject to the risk of local, national and global economic
disturbances based on unknown conditions in the markets in which the Client Accounts
invest. In the event of such disturbances, issuers of securities held by the Client Account
may suffer significant declines in the value of these assets and even terminate operations.
Such issuers also may receive government assistance accompanied by increased control
and restrictions or other government intervention. It is not clear whether the U.S.
government will intervene in response to such disturbances, and the effect of any such
intervention is unpredictable.
It is not clear whether new leadership at the SEC that began in 2025 will result in the
proposal of new rules or the amendment or repeal of existing rules. There can be no
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assurance that any such regulatory changes by the SEC will not have a material adverse
effect on NBIA, Client Accounts, and their investments and clients.
• Valuation Risk.
The price at which a Client Account could sell any particular investment
can differ from the Client Account’s valuation of the investment. Such differences could be
significant, particularly for Private Investments, illiquid securities and securities that trade
in relatively thin markets or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other
conditions make it difficult to value some investments (including Private Investments),
NBIA could value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value
methodologies. Because nonpublic financial and operational information regarding some
investments is not always disclosed or are disclosed at irregular intervals, it is possible that
NBIA will value the investment differently than other managers. For Client Accounts that
generate a daily NAV, such as Affiliated Registered Funds, investors who purchase or
redeem shares on days when the Affiliated Registered Fund is holding fair-valued securities
could receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they
would have received if the Affiliated Registered Fund had not fair-valued the securities or
had used a different valuation methodology. The value of non-U.S. securities, certain futures
and fixed income securities, and currencies, as applicable, could be materially affected by
events after the close of the markets on which they are traded but before the Client Account
determines its NAV.
A Client Account may use pricing services to provide values for certain securities, and there
is no assurance that a Client Account will be able to sell an investment at the price
established by such pricing services. Different pricing services use different valuation
methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same investments. As a
result, if a Client Account were to change pricing services, or if a pricing service were to
change its valuation methodology, the value of the Client Account’s investments could be
affected.
A Client Account’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner can
also be affected by technological issues or errors by third-party service providers, such as
• Verification and Valuation Risk with respect to Third-Party Portfolio Managers
pricing services (as noted above) or accounting agents.
.
Where applicable, NBIA receives information from Third-Party Portfolio Managers
regarding their historical performance (if any), exposures, and investment strategy. In
most cases NBIA will have little or no means of independently verifying the information
supplied to it by such Third-Party Portfolio Managers and will rely in large part on the
limited information provided to it by such managers. The absence of detailed information
could result in significant losses to the Client Accounts that invest, directly or indirectly, in
Third-Party Separate Accounts or Third-Party Portfolio Funds.
With respect to Private Funds that invest in Third-Party Portfolio Funds and Third-Party
Separate Accounts, in most cases, NBIA will have limited ability to assess the accuracy of
the valuations received from a Third-Party Portfolio Manager. The NAVs received by NBIA
from the Third-Party Portfolio Managers typically will be estimates only, and will be subject
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to revision through the end of each Third-Party Portfolio Fund’s annual audit. Net capital
appreciation or depreciation figures cannot be considered final until the fund’s annual
audit is complete.
• When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions Risk.
When-issued and delayed-
delivery transactions occur when securities are purchased or sold by a Client Account with
payment and delivery taking place in the future to secure an advantageous yield or price.
These transactions often expose the Client Account to counterparty risk of default as well
as the risk that securities will experience fluctuations in value prior to their actual delivery.
Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis involves the additional
risk that the price available in the market when the delivery takes place will not be as
favorable as (or the yield will be more favorable than) that obtained in the transaction.
Additional Risks for Fixed Income Strategies
The following is a summary of material risks specific to NBIA fixed income strategies that should
be considered along with the general risks listed above. These risks also apply to alternative
strategies and Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates that incorporate fixed income strategies. Please
note that certain risks do not apply to all NBIA fixed income strategies or apply to a material
degree.
• Asset-Backed Securities
.
Asset-backed securities represent direct or
indirect
participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as, among other
things, motor vehicle installment sales contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of
various types of real and personal property, and receivables from revolving credit (credit
card) agreements, or a combination of the foregoing. These assets are securitized through
the use of trusts and special purpose vehicles. Credit enhancements, such as various forms
of cash collateral accounts or letters of credit, can support payments of principal and
interest on asset-backed securities. Although these securities can be supported by letters
of credit or other credit enhancements, payment of interest and principal ultimately
depends upon individuals or other borrowers paying the underlying loans, which are often
affected adversely by general downturns in the economy. Asset-backed securities are
subject to the same risk of prepayment associated with mortgage-backed securities.
• Bank Loan Agents
agent
. Bank loans are typically administered by a bank, insurance company,
finance company or other financial institution (the “
”) for a lending syndicate of
financial institutions. In a typical bank loan, the agent administers the terms of the loan
agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal and interest and fee payments
from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to all lenders that are parties
to the loan agreement. In addition, an institution (which can be the agent) often holds
collateral on behalf of the lenders. Typically, under loan agreements, the agent is given
broad authority in monitoring the borrower’s performance and is obligated to use the same
care it would use in the management of its own property. In asserting rights against a
borrower, the Client Account normally would be dependent on the willingness of the lead
bank to assert these rights, or upon a vote of the lenders to authorize the action.
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If an agent becomes insolvent, or has a receiver, conservator, or similar official appointed
for it by the appropriate bank or other regulatory authority, or becomes a debtor in a
bankruptcy proceeding, it is possible that the agent’s appointment is terminated and a
successor agent is appointed. If an appropriate regulator or court determines that assets
held by the agent for the benefit of the purchasers of bank loans are subject to the claims
of the agent’s general or secured creditors, the purchasers might incur certain costs and
delays in realizing payment on a bank loan or suffer a loss of principal or interest.
• Call Risk.
When interest rates are low, issuers will often repay the obligation underlying a
“callable security” earlier than expected, thereby affecting the investment’s average life and
perhaps its yield. Furthermore, the Client Account will likely have to reinvest the proceeds
from the called security at the current, lower rates.
• Catastrophe Bonds (“CAT Bonds”).
Certain Client Accounts may invest in CAT Bonds,
which are a form of insurance-linked securities that are sold in the capital markets. CAT
Bonds are a way for insurers, reinsurers, corporations and government entities that have
risks associated with natural catastrophe events and disasters to transfer those risks to the
capital market in securities format. They are often structured as floating rate bonds whose
principal is lost if specified trigger conditions are met. If the triggered conditions are met,
the principal is paid to the sponsor and the purchaser of the CAT Bond may lose all or a
portion of the principal. If the triggered conditions are not met, the purchaser of the CAT
Bond will receive its principal plus interest. CAT Bonds are generally exposed to what are
believed to be relatively low probability, large-scale natural catastrophe events in the
United States, Japan, Europe and elsewhere. CAT Bonds may also be structured as
derivatives that are triggered by amounts actually lost by the protected counterparty,
modeled losses (determined pursuant to predetermined algorithms or models), losses
incurred by a specified industry, one or more event parameters or combinations of the
foregoing. Certain CAT Bonds may cover the risk that multiple loss events will occur.
To issue a CAT Bond, the sponsor creates a special purpose vehicle that issues individual
notes to capital markets investors. The special purpose vehicle provides protection to the
sponsor against the risk of specified natural or non-natural catastrophes or events. More
specifically, the obligation of the special purpose vehicle to repay principal is contingent on
the occurrence or non-occurrence of whatever catastrophic event or events are
specified. In the event that the specific natural catastrophe mentioned in the CAT Bond
occurs, the bond is ‘‘triggered’’ and all or a portion of the original principal can be used to
pay the approved claims from the trigger event. CAT Bonds may provide for extensions of
maturity that are mandatory, or optional, at the discretion of the issuer, in order to process
and audit loss claims in those cases where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An
investment in CAT Bonds may be subject to counterparty risk, adverse regulatory and
jurisdictional interpretations, adverse tax consequences, liquidity risk and foreign
currency risk.
• Collateralized Loan Obligations (“CLOs”).
Certain Client Accounts invest in CLOs,
including CLO debt, equity and warehouses. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in
risk and yield. The value of CLOs generally will fluctuate with, among other things, the
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financial condition of the obligors or issuers of the underlying portfolio of assets of the
related CLO, general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets,
political events, developments or trends in any particular industry and changes in
prevailing interest rates. Client Accounts that invest in CLOs can experience substantial
losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and
disappearance of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults, and investor
aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of investing in CLOs depend largely on the
type of the underlying collateral. Holders of CLOs rely on distributions from the underlying
collateral or proceeds thereof for payment in respect of the applicable CLO. If distributions
on the underlying collateral are insufficient to make payments on the CLOs, generally, no
other assets are available for payment of the deficiency, and following realization of the
CLOs, the obligations of the issuer to pay such deficiency will generally be extinguished.
• Credit Risk
. A Client Account could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a security
(including a security purchased with securities lending collateral), or the counterparty to a
derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities, is unable or
unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services
or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to honor its obligations. The downgrade of the credit
of a security or of the issuer of the security held by the Client Account often reduces its
value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in
credit ratings.
• Dilution.
From time to time, a Private Fund could invest in Portfolio Funds that limit the
amount of additional capital that they will accept from an investor. In such cases, continued
sales of interests in the Portfolio Fund will dilute the participation of existing investors in
• Distressed Securities.
the Portfolio Funds.
A Client Account where the strategy invests in distressed securities
is generally exposed to greater risks than if the strategy invested only in higher-grade
securities. Distressed securities are those issued by companies that are, or might be,
involved in reorganizations or financial restructurings, either out of court or in bankruptcy.
As a result, it is often difficult to obtain information as to the true condition of financially
distressed securities. In certain periods, there is little or no liquidity in the markets for
distressed securities or instruments. The prices of such securities could be subject to
periods of abrupt and erratic market movements and above-average price volatility and it
could be more difficult to value such securities. Distressed securities and any securities
received in an exchange for distressed securities may be subject to restrictions on resale.
The Client Account could lose a substantial portion or all of its investment in distressed
securities or be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Client
Account’s original investment.
• Fixed-Income Securities.
Fixed-income securities include traditional debt securities
issued by corporations and other issuers, such as bonds and debentures and debt securities
that are convertible into common stock and interests. The market value of fixed-income
securities is sensitive to changes in interest rates. In general, when interest rates rise, a
fixed-income security’s market value declines and when interest rates decline, its value
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rises. Normally, the longer the remaining maturity of a security, the greater the effect of
interest rate changes on the market value of the security. In addition, changes in the ability
of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market’s perception of
an issuer’s creditworthiness affect the market value of fixed-income securities of that
issuer.
Fixed-income securities are also often subject to yield curve risk. When the yield curve
shifts, the price of a bond that was initially priced based on the initial yield curve will
change. Yield curve risk is reduced by keeping the duration of the bond portfolio relatively
short.
Additionally, fixed-income securities are subject to inflation risk, liquidity risk and
reinvestment risk. Inflation risk is the risk that inflation will erode the purchasing power
of the cash flows generated by debt securities. Fixed-rate debt securities are more
susceptible to this risk than floating rate debt securities. Liquidity risk is the risk that
certain fixed income securities will be difficult to sell at the time and at the price the Client
account would like, which could cause the Client Account to hold these securities for longer
than it would like or to forego other investment opportunities. Reinvestment risk is the
risk that cash flow from debt securities will be reinvested at a lower interest rate. A decline
in income could affect a Client Account’s overall return.
• Foreclosure Process in Distressed Debt and Mortgage Loans
. With respect to Client
Accounts that invest in distressed debt, NBIA generally concentrates on acquiring debt that
is secured by assets that NBIA believes have a value adequate to ensure payment of such
debt. However, if it becomes necessary to foreclose on the assets underlying a loan
acquired by a Client Account, significant uncertainty could arise as to the outcome of the
proceeding. Bankruptcy judges have broad discretion as to how they deal with the claims
of different creditors, and it is possible that the claims of secured creditors will not, despite
their legal entitlement, always be respected as a matter of policy. These Client Accounts
can make investments in restructurings and workouts that involve companies that are
experiencing, or are expected to experience, severe financial difficulties, which are never
overcome and lead to uncertain outcomes. The Bankruptcy Courts have broad discretion
to control the terms of a reorganization, and political factors are often of significant
importance in the higher profile bankruptcies.
The foreclosure process with respect to the residential real estate private credit strategy
can result in procedural delays and uncertainties in many jurisdictions. Federal, state and
local laws and ordinances have considered or are considering, legislation or regulations
that would hinder or delay foreclosure proceedings against defaulted mortgage borrowers,
or limit a residential mortgage loan servicer’s ability to take actions that are necessary or
appropriate to preserve mortgage loan value. Judicial decisions also have imposed
significant requirements and burdens on lenders that could result in delays and further
expense. The inability to foreclose on defaulted borrowers when or as anticipated, or an
increase of expenses for foreclosure proceedings, could result in increased costs, reduced
collections and lower returns. In addition, any limitations on foreclosure are likely to cause
delayed or reduced collections from mortgagors and generally increased servicing costs.
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Inflation Risk.
•
Inflation risk is the risk that assets or income from investments will be
worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases,
the real value of a Client Account can decline. Inflation rates may change frequently and
drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or
global economy, and a Client Account’s investments may be affected, which may reduce the
Client Account’s performance.
In addition, during period of rising inflation, short-term interest rates often increase. A rise
in interest rates may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by a Client
Account, resulting in a negative impact on the Client Account’s performance.
In recent years, economic indicators showed inflation accelerating at a faster pace than in
prior years. Although inflation rates have since declined in the United States and
throughout much of the developed world, they remain higher than rates that many
policymakers consider acceptable for a stable economy. These circumstances may continue
for an extended period, and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the
investments of a Client Account.
Generally, securities issued in emerging markets are subject to a greater risk of inflationary
or deflationary forces, and more developed markets are better able to use monetary policy
to normalize markets. Countries and/or governments may institute measures designed to
increase the cost of borrowing, impose wage and price controls or otherwise intervene in
an attempt to stabilize inflation. However, governmental efforts to curb inflation often have
had negative effects on the level of economic activity as shown by the countries where such
measures were employed.
Interest Rate Risk.
•
Interest rates can rise and reduce the market value of an investment.
Long-term fixed income securities, such as bonds, subject their owners to the greatest
amount of interest rate risk. Short term securities, such as U.S. Treasury bills, tend to be
less influenced by interest rate movements.
The U.S. Federal Reserve and many foreign governments and monetary authorities have
recently cut interest rates and implemented other policy initiatives in an attempt to control
inflation. It is difficult to predict accurately the pace at which central banks or monetary
authorities may effect interest rate increases or decreases or the timing, frequency, or
magnitude of any such adjustments. The evaluation of macro-economic and other
conditions could cause a change in approach in the future.
High interest rates may present a greater risk than has historically been the case due to the
effect of government fiscal and monetary initiatives and potential market reaction to those
initiatives. As such, fixed-income and related markets may continue to experience
heightened levels of interest rate volatility. A significant or rapid rise in interest rates could
result in losses, which could be substantial, in a Client Account.
Junior Loans.
•
Junior Loans
and second lien loans (collectively, “
Certain Client Accounts utilize secured and unsecured subordinated loans
”). Secured Junior Loans are generally
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second in line in terms of repayment priority. A secured Junior Loan often has a claim on
the same collateral pool as the first lien or is secured by a separate set of assets, such as
property, plants, or equipment. Junior Loans generally give investors priority over general
unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale.
Junior Loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment,
including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower
place in the borrower’s capital structure, Junior Loans involve a higher degree of overall
risk than senior loans of the same borrower.
• Lender Liability Risk
. A number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers
to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively
referred to as “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a
lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair
dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower
resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or
shareholders. Client Accounts that invest in loans, particularly distressed debt, can become
subject to allegations of lender liability, which could subject them to significant liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender
liability claims, if a lender: (i) intentionally takes an action that results in the
undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower;
(ii) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors;
(iii) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors;
or (iv) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the
detriment of other creditors of such borrower, a court can elect to subordinate the claim of
the offending lender to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy
called “equitable subordination.” If a Client Account that invests in loans became subject to
equitable subordination, it could result in substantial losses for the Client Account.
• Loan Interests.
Loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and it is possible
that NBIA will be unable to sell loans at a time when it would otherwise be desirable to do
so or will be able to sell them only at prices that are less than their fair market value. NBIA
could find it difficult to establish a fair value for loans held by the Client Account. Loans
normally are not registered with the SEC or any state securities commission or listed on
any securities exchange. As a result, the amount of public information available about a
specific loan historically has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or
exchange traded. Bank loan interests are also often not rated by independent rating
agencies. Therefore, investments in a particular loan could depend almost exclusively on
the credit analysis of the borrower performed by NBIA. Also, there is a risk that the value
of the collateral securing a loan (if any) will decline after the Client Account invests or that
the collateral (if any) will not be sufficient to cover the amount owed to the Client Account.
NBIA will invest in unsecured bank loans for certain Client Accounts. Loans are also subject
to the risk of a borrower defaulting, which will often limit or delay the Client Account’s
access to the collateral under bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. If the borrower defaults
on an unsecured bank loan, the relevant Client Account will be a general creditor and will
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not have rights to any specific assets of the borrower. Additionally, if the Client Account
acquires a participation interest in a loan, it is possible that it will not be able to control the
exercise of any remedies that the lender would have under the loan and likely would not
have any rights against the borrower directly. Loans purchased by a Client Account could
represent interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions,
known as “leveraged buy-out” transactions, leveraged recapitalization loans and other
types of acquisition financing. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in
such transactions often makes such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in
economic or market conditions. In addition, some loan interests are not considered
“securities,” and purchasers, such as a Client Account, therefore would generally not be
entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
• Lower-Rated Debt Securities.
Fixed income securities receiving below investment grade
ratings often have speculative characteristics, and compared to higher-grade securities,
often have a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments in adverse
economic conditions or other circumstances. High-yield, high-risk, and lower-rated
securities are subject to additional risk factors, such as increased possibility of default,
decreased liquidity and fluctuations in value due to public perception of the issuer of such
securities. In addition, both individual high-yield securities and the entire high-yield bond
market can experience sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in
economic forecasts, stock market activity, large sustained sales by major investors or a high
profile default.
• Mortgage-Backed Securities.
Mortgage-backed securities represent “pools” of mortgages
and other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Investment in
mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including market and credit risk.
Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-backed
securities, making them more sensitive to interest rate changes. When interest rates
decline, borrowers can often pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce
the return in a Client Account because the Client Account would have to reinvest those
funds at lower prevailing interest rates. Market risk reflects the risk that the price of a
security will fluctuate over time. Credit risk reflects the risk that the strategy will not
receive all or part of its principal or posted collateral, if any because the issuer or credit
enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. The value of mortgage-backed securities may
also change due to shifts in the market’s perception of issuers and regulatory or tax changes
adversely affecting the mortgage securities market as a whole. In addition to these risks,
the 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis continues to have a negative impact on the value of
some mortgage-backed securities and continues to result in limited liquidity in the
secondary market for mortgage-related securities.
TBAs
From time to time, NBIA will sell to-be-announced mortgage-backed securities (“
”) it
has committed to purchase on behalf of Client Accounts before those securities are
delivered to the Client Account on the settlement date. The Client Account could also enter
into a TBA agreement and “roll over” such agreement prior to the settlement date by selling
the obligation to purchase the pools set forth in the agreement and entering into a new TBA
117
agreement for future delivery of mortgage-backed securities. TBA mortgage-backed
securities can increase prepayment risks because the underlying mortgages could be less
• Mortgage Loan Modification Risk.
favorable than anticipated by NBIA.
Modification of troubled loans and real estate
acquired with loan pools involves substantial risks including declines in the value of
residential real estate, general economic conditions that contribute to declining home
prices, deterioration of a borrower’s ability to keep payments current on a modified loan
or to refinance a loan, increases in the cost of property maintenance, taxes and insurance,
losses, borrower bankruptcies, moratoriums on
natural disasters and casualty
foreclosures, zoning changes, incomplete or defective loan documentation, and fluctuations
in interest rates. In addition, active federal and state government scrutiny and enforcement
actions against mortgage loan holders and new legislation could adversely affect the ability
to foreclose on a timely basis and impose conditions, restrictions and additional costs on
loan modifications. The success of a loan modification program depends significantly on
the ability of third party, unaffiliated servicers to follow modification guidelines, negotiate
acceptable workout terms, provide delinquency notices, initiate foreclosure proceedings,
monitor re-performing loans and liquidate real estate. Some servicing agreements with
third parties provide for incentive compensation as a percentage of cash flows or profits
from a modified loan. These arrangements could lead to more aggressive and riskier
servicing practices by the servicer that adversely affect the results of a loan modification
and potentially lead to legal or regulatory actions.
• Municipal Securities.
Municipal securities rely on the creditworthiness or revenue
production of their issuers. Municipal securities are often difficult to obtain because of
limited supply, which can increase the cost of such securities and effectively reduce a
strategy’s yield. Typically, less information is available about a municipal issuer than is
available for other types of securities issuers. Additionally, because interest income on
municipal obligations is normally not subject to regular federal income taxation, the
attractiveness of municipal obligations in relation to other investment alternatives is
affected by changes in federal income tax rates applicable to, or the continuing tax-exempt
status of, such interest income. In addition, a Client Account that concentrates its
investments in a particular state’s municipal bonds could be affected significantly by
economic, regulatory or political developments affecting the ability of that state’s issuers
to pay interest or repay principal. Any provisions of the state’s constitution and statutes
that limit the taxing and spending authority of the state governmental entities could impair
the ability of the state’s issuers to pay principal or interest on their obligations. Each state’s
economy could be sensitive to economic problems affecting particular industries. Future
state or local political and economic developments, constitutional amendments, legislative
measures, executive orders, administrative regulations, litigation and voter initiatives
could have an adverse effect on the debt obligations of the state’s issuers.
Certain municipal bonds have restrictions in their offering documents that set the lowest
denomination of an issue that can be purchased or sold subject to certain exceptions
(“minimum denomination”). It is possible that certain events, such as a partial call, will
result in a particular client holding a position that is less than the minimum denomination
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for that municipal bond. If a client who is holding a position that is less than the minimum
denomination sells the position, the fact that the client’s position is below the minimum
denomination would likely adversely affect the liquidity of the position unless the client
has other securities from the issue that can be combined to reach the minimum
denomination.
i.e.,
OID
de minimis
e.g.,
a price less than the bond’s
Municipal bonds can be bought or sold at a market discount (
principal amount or, in the case of a bond issued with original issue discount (“
”), a
price less than the amount of the issue price plus accrued OID). If the market discount is
amount, and if the bond has a maturity date of more than one year
more than a
from the date it was issued, then any market discount that accrues annually, or any gains
earned on the disposition of the bond, generally will be subject to federal income taxation
as ordinary (taxable) income rather than as capital gains. Some municipal securities,
including those in the high yield market, include transfer restrictions similar to restricted
securities (
can only be transferred to qualified institutional buyers and purchasers
meeting other qualification requirements set by the issuer). Accordingly, it could be
difficult to sell municipal securities at a favorable time or at favorable prices.
Risk of Principal Only Investments
. Principal only investments are municipal obligations that
entitle the holder to receive par value of such investment if held to maturity. The values of
principal only investments are subject to greater fluctuation in response to changes in
market interest rates than bonds that pay interest currently. Client portfolios that are
required to make annual distributions will accrue income on these investments and could
be required to sell securities to obtain cash to meet such distribution obligations.
• Physical Assets
. From time to time, particularly with respect to the distressed debt and
residential real estate private credit strategies, a Client Account will be involved in
transactions that result in the Client Account owning physical assets (typically collateral
for secured loans acquired by the Client Account) directly. In such cases, the Client Account
will be subject to all the risks inherent in owning physical assets such as real estate. These
risks include: general and local economic and social conditions; fluctuations in asset values;
over-concentration in the physical asset, declines in the financial resources of the
prospective purchasers or lessees for such assets; a drop in demand or an increase in the
competition for such assets; storage, insurance and other maintenance costs; destruction,
spoilage,
in tax,
impairment, damage, depreciation and obsolescence; changes
environmental and other applicable laws and regulations, increasing the costs or
restricting the use of such assets; environmental protection penalties and liabilities
(including those attributable to the conduct of prior owners of such assets); increases in
interest rates and, accordingly, of the cost of inventory as well as of the availability of
financing in order to maintain such assets or to finance purchases of such assets; a shortage
of financing (irrespective of interest rates); or increases in operating expenses that could
adversely affect the value of such assets to a potential purchaser or lessee. There can be no
assurance of the profitable ownership or operation of any physical asset. The cost of
operating or maintaining an asset could materially exceed the income or sale proceeds
generated by such asset, while such asset itself (as opposed to the loans formerly secured
by such asset) could generate little or no cash flow.
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• Prepayment and Extension Risk.
A Client Account’s performance could be affected if
borrowers pay back principal on certain debt securities, such as mortgage- or asset-backed
securities, before or after the market anticipates such payments, shortening or lengthening
their duration. Due to a decline in interest rates, an excess in cash flow, or other factors, a
debt security might be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before
maturity. As a result, a Client Account would likely have to reinvest the proceeds in an
investment offering a lower yield, not benefit from any increase in value that might
otherwise result from declining interest rates and lose any premium it paid to acquire the
security. Higher interest rates generally result in slower payoffs, which effectively increase
duration, heighten interest rate risk, and increase the potential for price declines. The
prices of variable and floating rate securities (including loans) can be less sensitive to
prepayment risk.
• Rating Agency Risk.
From time to time, NBIA will purchase securities for Client Accounts
rated by a rating agency. NBIA could use these ratings to determine whether to purchase,
sell or hold a security. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality. Securities with the
same maturity, interest rate and rating often have different market prices. Credit ratings
attempt to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments and do not evaluate the
risks of fluctuations in market value. In addition, rating agencies sometimes fail to make
timely changes in credit ratings. An issuer’s current financial condition could be better or
worse than a rating indicates. Finally, ratings agencies may change their ratings
methodologies in ways that adversely affect the market value of the affected securities,
even in the absence of deterioration in the credit profile of an issuer.
• Residential Mortgage and Other Real Estate Related Investment Risks
“REITs”
. Certain Client
Accounts invest in mortgage loans and other real estate related debt investments, including
Real Estate Investment Trusts (
), credit tenant leases, and companies principally
engaged in the real estate industry. These investments are subject to risks associated with
the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include fluctuations in the value of
underlying properties, the impact of economic conditions on real estate values, the strength
of specific industries renting properties and defaults by borrowers or tenants. In addition
to these risks, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and some REITs have
investments in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single type of
property. The properties held by REITs could fall in value for a variety of reasons, such as
declines in rental income, poor property management, environmental liabilities, uninsured
or uninsurable damage, increased competition (as a result, for instance, of over-building),
or any of the other factors identified below. This strategy involves risks, including, among
others and depending on the nature of the underlying properties: (i) declines in real estate
values, including from changes in demographic trends, such as population shifts or
changing tastes and values; (ii) risks related to general and local economic conditions; (iii)
possible lack of availability of mortgage funds for borrowers to refinance or sell their
homes or other underlying properties; (iv) overbuilding; (v) the general deterioration of
the borrower’s ability to keep a modified or rehabilitated troubled mortgage loan current;
(vi) increases in competition, property taxes and operating expenses; (vii) changes in
120
zoning and other applicable laws; (viii) costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to
third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; (ix) casualty or
condemnation losses; (x) uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural
disasters; (xi) limitations on and variations in rents; (xii) fluctuations in interest rates; (xiii)
foreclosure moratoriums and other requirements or restrictions on foreclosures that
extend the time needed to foreclose; (xiv) the creation of new, or the extension of existing,
homebuyer and other incentive programs; and (xv) new servicing or loss mitigation
requirements. To the extent that assets underlying a Client Account’s investments are
concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Client
Account could be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent. In addition,
this strategy relies in part on the motivation of banks, thrifts, mortgage companies,
residential real estate developers, certain government agencies, and other participants in
the residential mortgage market to originate or sell mortgage loans and other real estate
assets.
• Risks of Zero-Coupon and Deep Discount Bonds and PIK Securities.
PIK Securities
Zero-coupon and
deep discount bonds often experience volatility in market value due to changes in interest
rates. Securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis are subject to
the risk that when delivered they will be worth less than the agreed upon payment price.
”) and other
Bonds and preferred stocks that make “in-kind” payments (“
securities that do not pay regular income distributions could experience greater volatility
in response to interest rate changes and issuer developments. Client Accounts that are
required to make annual income distributions under the Code will accrue income on certain
of these instruments and could be required to sell securities to obtain cash to meet such
requirement. PIK Securities generally carry higher interest rates compared to bonds that
make cash payments of interest to reflect the increased risks associated with the deferral
of interest payments. PIK Securities involve additional risk because the Client Account
receives no cash payments until the maturity date or specified cash payment date. If the
issuer of a PIK Security defaults, it is possible that the Client Account will lose its entire
investment.
• Sovereign Debt Risk.
Sovereign debt securities are subject to the risk that a governmental
entity will delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for
example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political
considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in relation to the
economy, its policy toward international lenders or the failure to put in place economic
reforms required by multilateral agencies. If a governmental entity defaults, it often asks
for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting
sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings
through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid
can be collected.
Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers. Certain emerging market or
developing countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and non-U.S.
governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the
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payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries
have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis that led to
defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness.
• Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk.
Stripped mortgage-backed securities are
derivative multi-class mortgage securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the
U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans. They are
typically structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and
principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. As such, these classes can be very
sensitive to changes in interest rates and the rate of prepayments.
• Stripped Securities Risk.
Stripped securities are the separate income or principal
components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in
interest rates, resulting in greater fluctuations in price than other debt securities and
traditional government securities with identical credit ratings.
Risk.
• Sukuk
i.e.,
Sukuk are fixed-income investments conforming to Islamic principles, which
prohibit charging interest (
money paid simply for the use of the investor's money).
Sukuk are generally similar to a combination of asset-backed securities and repurchase
agreements. The issuer, often a special purpose vehicle established to issue the sukuk,
holds title to an asset or pool of assets. The sukuk represents an interest in that asset, so
the income to the investor comes from ownership of the asset, not from interest on the
investor’s money. The issuer of the sukuk agrees in advance to repurchase the sukuk from
the investor on a certain date at a certain price.
As unsecured investments, sukuk are backed only by the credit of the issuing entity, which
could be a special purpose vehicle that holds no other assets. They are thus subject to the
risk that the issuer is not able to repurchase the instrument at the agreed upon date for the
agreed upon price, if at all. Furthermore, since the purchasers of sukuk are investors in the
underlying asset, they are subject to the risk that the asset will not perform as expected,
and that the flow of income from the investments will be slower than expected or cease
altogether. In the event of default, the process could take longer to resolve than
conventional bonds. Evolving interpretations of Islamic law by courts or prominent
scholars could affect the free transferability of sukuk in ways that cannot now be foreseen.
In that event, a Client Account could be required to hold its sukuk for longer than intended,
even if the sukuk’s condition is deteriorating.
The unique characteristics of sukuk may lead to uncertainties regarding their tax treatment
within a Client Account. It is anticipated that sukuk investments will be treated as
investments in debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, with payment
obligations constituting payments of principal and interest as generally applicable with
respect to debt instruments. Sukuk investments may also be subject to U.S. federal and
other withholding taxes, and there is no assurance that any such taxes will be eligible for
relief under an applicable income tax treaty. There can be no assurance that the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service or other tax authorities will treat the sukuk investments in
accordance with the anticipated tax consequences.
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• Trade Claims
i.e.,
e.g
. Certain Client Accounts that invest in distressed debt can, from time to time,
acquire trade claims (
amounts due from a company to its suppliers). Trade claims are
not “securities” for regulatory purposes, and a Client Account, in investing in trade claims,
will not have the protection of the securities laws. Trade claims are typically highly illiquid
and generally have a relatively junior position as compared to securities and other debt
., the services or products
owed by the issuer. There are often defenses to trade claims (
furnished not meeting specifications) of which NBIA is not aware at the time of a Client
Account’s acquisition of such claims.
• U.S. Government/Agency Risk.
Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac
”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“
U.S. Government/Agency Risk is the risk that the U.S.
Government will not provide
to U.S. Government agencies,
financial support
instrumentalities, or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law. Not all U.S.
Government securities are backed or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Some U.S.
Government securities are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, which
depends entirely on its own resources to repay the debt, and are subject to the risk of
default. For example, U.S. Government securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage
”)
Association (“
and Federal Home Loan Banks are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, but their
securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Therefore, these
securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. The maximum
potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. Government securities can greatly exceed their
current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible
that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.
Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. government
continues to consider multiple options, including privatization, consolidation, and
abolishment of the entities.
• Whole Loans Risk
. Certain Client Accounts will acquire whole loans, as opposed to
commercial mortgaged-backed securities whose payment flows are dependent on
payments of the underlying loans. When the Client Account holds a whole loan, NBIA will
be responsible for dealing directly with the issuer, which can both consume valuable
investment adviser resources that could be more profitably employed in other investments
as well as subject the Client Account to all the uncertainties, expenses and adversary
proceedings that surround foreclosures in general.
Additional Risks for Equity Strategies
i.e.,
i.e.,
mid-cap and small-cap) and certain specialty strategies (
NBIA’s equity strategies involve various material risks, including the risks associated with certain
market caps categories (
Master
Limited Partnerships and Sustainable Equity). The following is a summary of material risks
specific to NBIA equity strategies that should be considered along with the general risks listed
above. These risks also apply to alternative strategies and Multi-Asset Strategy Mandates that
incorporate equity strategies. Please note that certain risks do not apply to all NBIA equity
strategies or apply to a material degree.
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• Brokerage Commissions/Transaction Costs/High Portfolio Turnover Risk.
With
respect to those accounts that pay separate commissions, a high portfolio turnover rate
increases a strategy’s transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer
costs). Further, higher portfolio turnover will likely result in the realization of more short-
term capital gains than if the strategy had lower portfolio turnover.
• Correlation Risk.
e.g.,
There can be no assurance that the underlying equity portfolio will
correlate to or track closely the selected benchmark (
an index, ETF or basket) on which
the options positions are based, and as a result, the option strategy performance could vary
substantially from the performance of the portfolio for any period of time. For example,
when writing options on an index, the value of the index could appreciate while the value
of the equity portfolio declines in value. This would result in losses on both the option
positions and the equity portfolio.
e.g.,
• Equity Market Risk.
Investments in equity securities (
common stocks, preferred
stocks, convertible securities, rights, warrants and Depositary Receipts) are subject to
market risks that will cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Historically, the equity
markets have moved in cycles and the value of a strategy’s securities could fluctuate
substantially from day to day. Investments in income-producing equity securities are also
subject to the risk that the issuer will reduce or discontinue paying dividends.
• Growth Stock Risk.
Because the prices of most growth stocks are based on future
expectations, these stocks tend to be more sensitive than value stocks to bad economic
news and negative earnings surprises. Bad economic news or changing investor
perceptions can negatively affect growth stocks across several industries and sectors
simultaneously.
Issuer-Specific Risk.
•
The value of an individual security or particular type of security can
be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of
the market as a whole.
• Market Capitalization Risk (Small-, Mid- and Large-Cap Stocks Risk).
To the extent a
strategy emphasizes small-, mid-, or large-cap stocks, it takes on the associated risks.
Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies are often less responsive
to changes and opportunities. At times, the stocks of larger companies lag other types of
stocks in performance. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile
and less liquid than the stocks of larger companies and are often more affected than other
types of stocks by the underperformance of a sector or during market downturns.
Compared to large-cap companies, small and mid-cap companies generally have a shorter
history of operations and limited product lines, markets or financial resources.
• New Issues.
Exchange Act
Certain Client Accounts will invest in “new issues.” Therefore, such Client
Account will have “new issues” profits or losses. In the U.S., a “new issue” generally is any
initial public offering of an equity security, as defined in Section 3(a)(11) of the Securities
”). Under the rules adopted by
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “
124
FINRA, certain persons engaged in the securities, banking or financial services industries
de
(and certain members of their respective families) are restricted from having profits and
minimis
losses attributable to investments in “new issues” allocated to them, subject to a 10%
exemption. Similar restrictions apply to persons that directly or indirectly own
25% or more of certain publicly traded companies. Such restricted persons could have an
economic disadvantage as compared to those investors in such Client Account who do
participate in “new issues” since some of the Client Account’s assets will be indirectly used
to fund the purchase of “new issues” as to which the “restricted persons” will derive no
benefit.
• Ownership Restrictions.
Certain investment strategies pursued by a Client Account,
including control investment strategies, will be affected by applicable U.S. state and federal
laws and regulations, as well as non-U.S. laws and regulations, governing the beneficial
ownership of public securities. These laws and regulations could inhibit a Client Account’s
ability to freely acquire and dispose of the securities of an investment that is the subject of
such investment strategies. Should a Client Account be affected by such laws and
regulations, it might not be able to transact in ways that would facilitate a realization of
value of the investment. Accordingly, such changes, if any, could have an adverse effect on
the ability of a Client Account to achieve its investment objective.
• Private Companies and Pre-IPO Investments
Pre-IPO
. Investments in private companies,
Shares
including companies that have not yet issued securities publicly in an IPO (“
”) involve greater risks than investments in securities of companies that have traded
publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in these companies are
generally less liquid than investments in securities issued by public companies or are often
illiquid, difficult to value and priced by a method that NBIA believes accurately reflects fair
value. Compared to public companies, private companies generally have a more limited
management group and limited operating histories with narrower, less established product
lines and smaller market shares, which often causes them to be more vulnerable to
competitors’ actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment with respect to their
products or services, as well as general economic downturns. In addition, private
companies often have limited financial resources and are unable to meet their obligations
under their existing credit facilities (to the extent that such facilities exist). This could lead
to bankruptcy or liquidation of such private company or the dilution or subordination of
an investment in such private company. Additionally, there is significantly less information
available about private companies’ business models, quality of management, earnings
growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate their investment prospects and the
little public information available about such companies could be unreliable. Because
financial reporting obligations for private companies are not as rigorous as public
companies, it is often difficult to fully assess the rights and values of certain securities
issued by private companies. Accordingly, NBIA often only has limited access to a private
company’s actual financial results and there is no assurance that the information obtained
is reliable. Moreover, because securities issued by private companies are generally not
freely or publicly tradable, many Client Accounts do not have the opportunity to purchase
these shares or are able to sell these shares in the amounts or at the prices they desire.
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Restricted Securities
Although there is a potential for Pre-IPO Shares to increase in value if the company does
issue shares in an IPO, IPOs are risky and volatile and can cause the value of the investment
to decrease significantly. It is possible that the private companies in which Client Accounts
invest never issue shares in an IPO and a liquid market for their Pre-IPO Shares never
develop, which would likely negatively affect the price at which NBIA or Client can sell these
shares and make it more difficult to sell these shares. Investments in a private company’s
securities include investing in restricted securities. See “
” in this Item
8.C.
• Private Investments in Public Companies.
PIPEs present certain risks not associated
with open market purchases of equity securities. In a typical PIPEs transaction, a Client
Account will acquire, directly from a company seeking to raise capital in a private
placement pursuant to Regulation D under the Securities Act, common stock or a security
convertible into common stock, such as convertible notes or convertible preferred stock.
The issuing company’s common stock is usually publicly traded on a U.S. securities
exchange or in the over-the-counter market, but the securities acquired by such Client
Account will be subject to restrictions on resale imposed by federal securities laws absent
an effective registration statement. If the securities cannot be registered for public resale
in a timely manner or at all, it is possible that they will only be saleable in a privately
negotiated transaction and possibly at a price less than that paid by such Client Account,
assuming a suitable buyer can be found. Even if the shares are registered for public resale,
the market for the company’s securities could nevertheless be “thin” or “illiquid,” making
the sale of securities at desired prices or in desired quantities difficult or impossible. As a
seller of securities in a registered public offering, the relevant Client Account could be
deemed to be a statutory ‘‘underwriter” under the Securities Act, and in that capacity liable
for misstatements or omissions in the offering documents prepared by the issuing
company. While the Client Account typically will be indemnified by the issuing company
against such liabilities, it is possible that the issuing company will not have the financial
resources to satisfy its indemnification obligations. Furthermore, it is the position of the
SEC staff that indemnification for violations of the Securities Act is against public policy and
therefore unenforceable. While the price paid by a Client Account will usually be at a
discount to the public trading price at the time of purchase, by the time such Client Account
is able to dispose of its shares in a public sale the market price for the issuing company’s
securities could be below the price paid by the Client Account, or the sale by the Client
Account and other holders with similar registration rights at or about the same time could
cause the market price of the issuing company’s common stock to decline substantially
before the Client Account is able to dispose of any or all of its investment. The ability to sell
shares in an underwritten public offering will be largely dependent upon various economic
and market conditions, over which the issuing company, the Client Account, and NBIA will
have no control.
• Restricted Securities
. Restricted securities generally are securities that can be resold to
the public only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or
an exemption from registration. Equity securities, including preferred stock, and fixed
126
income securities, can be deemed a “restricted security.” Regulation S under the Securities
Act is an exemption from registration that permits, under certain circumstances, the resale
of restricted securities in offshore transactions, subject to certain conditions, and Rule
144A under the Securities Act is an exemption that permits the resale of certain restricted
securities to “qualified institutional buyers.” Where an exemption from registration under
the Securities Act is unavailable, or where an institutional market is limited, NBIA will, in
certain circumstances, require the issuer of restricted securities held in a Client Account to
file a registration statement to register the resale of such securities under the Securities
Act. In such case, the Client Account will be obligated to pay all or part of the registration
expenses, and a considerable period of time could elapse between the decision to sell and
the time the Client Account would be permitted to resell a security under an effective
registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop,
or the value of the security were to decline, the Client Account might obtain a less favorable
price than prevailed when the decision to sell was made. Restricted securities for which no
market exists are priced by a method that NBIA believes accurately reflects fair value.
• REITs and Real Estate Risk.
A strategy’s investments in the securities of REITs and
companies principally engaged in the real estate industry are subject to risks associated
with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include fluctuations in the value of
underlying properties, the impact of economic conditions on real estate values, the strength
of specific industries renting properties and defaults by borrowers or tenants. In addition
to these risks, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and some REITs have
investments in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single type of
property. The properties held by REITs could fall in value for a variety of reasons, such as
declines in rental income, poor property management, environmental liabilities, uninsured
or uninsurable damage, increased competition (as a result, for instance, of over-building),
or changes in real estate tax laws. There is also a risk that REIT stock prices overall will
decline over short or even long periods because of rising interest rates. REITs tend to be
small- and medium-size companies. Like small-capitalization stocks in general, REIT stocks
can be more volatile than, and at times will perform differently from, large capitalization
stocks. These factors can increase the volatility of the strategies investments in REITs.
Investments in REITs will cause the investors to bear their pro rata portion of the REITs
management fees and other expenses, which could result in duplicative expenses. In
addition, there are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities such as
preferred REITs. The risks include the following: (i) such preferred securities could include
provisions that permit the issuer, in its discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a
certain period of time or indefinitely and, as such, preferred securities could lose
substantial value due to the omission or deferment of distribution payments, (ii) preferred
securities are often subordinated to the issuer’s senior debt in terms of liquidation and
payment, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than the senior debt, and (iii)
preferred securities could trade less frequently and in a more limited volume and be subject
to more abrupt or erratic price movements than many other securities.
• Value Stock Risk.
Value stocks could remain undervalued during a given period or never
realize their full value. This could happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to
127
anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic
conditions.
Additional Risks for Alternative Strategies
The following is a summary of material risks specific to NBIA alternative investment strategies
that should be considered along with the general risks listed above. In addition, the risks listed
above relating to fixed income and equity strategies also apply to alternative strategies that invest
in fixed income or equity investments, respectively. Please note that certain risks do not apply to
all NBIA alternative investment strategies or apply to a material degree.
• Absolute Return Risk.
A Client Account’s returns could deviate from overall market
returns to a greater degree than the returns of other Client Accounts that do not employ an
absolute return focus. Thus, during periods of strong market performance, a Client
Account invested in an absolute return strategy could underperform other strategies.
Investment strategies and investment advisers whose performance has historically been
non-correlated or demonstrated low correlations to one another or to major world
financial market indices can become correlated at certain times. During these
circumstances, a Client Account’s absolute return focus would likely not function as
anticipated.
• Co-Investments Risk.
Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds and certain Private Funds and
Institutional Accounts make Co-Investments on an opportunistic basis. There can be no
assurance that the Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Private Funds, or Institutional
Accounts will be given Co-Investment opportunities, or that any Co-Investment offered to
the Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Private Funds or Institutional Accounts would be
appropriate or attractive. The market for Co-Investment opportunities is competitive and
often limited, and it is possible that the Co-Investment opportunities to which the
Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Private Funds, or Institutional Accounts wish to
allocate assets will not be available at any given time, although certain Private Funds (and
their investors) may have a right of first offer on a Co-Investment. Due diligence will be
conducted on Co-Investment opportunities; however, it is possible that NBIA will not have
the ability to conduct the same level of due diligence applied to Third-Party Portfolio Fund
investments. The Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Private Funds, and Institutional
Accounts will generally rely on the manager or sponsor offering such Co-Investment
opportunity to perform most of the due diligence on the relevant portfolio company and
to negotiate terms of the Co-Investment.
In general, the ability to dispose of Co-Investments will be severely limited, both by the
fact that the securities are expected to be unregistered and illiquid and by contractual
restrictions that limit, preclude or require certain approvals for any sale. NBIA could have
little opportunity to negotiate the terms of such Co-Investments. On the other hand, where
Co-Investments are heavily negotiated, the Registered PE Funds, Interval Funds, Private
Funds, or Institutional Accounts will likely incur additional legal and transaction costs in
connection therewith. Co-Investments are generally subject to many of the same risks as
investments in Third-Party Portfolio Funds.
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• EU Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers.
AIFMD
AIFMs
AIFs
Since July 2013, the EU
”) has applied to alternative
Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (“
”) that manage and actively market alternative
investment fund managers (“
investment funds (“
”) within the EU. A Client Account will likely be subject to certain
requirements under AIFMD to the extent that interests in such Client Account are offered
in the EEA. AIFMD requires certain disclosures for prospective investors that are
domiciled or that maintain a registered office in the EEA. If a Client Account becomes
subject to these requirements, it will provide AIFMD-required disclosure to all existing
and prospective investors in such Client Account.
• Market Direction Risk.
If a Client Account typically holds both long and short positions,
an investment in such a product will involve market risks associated with different types
of investment decisions than those made for a typical “long only” fund. A Client Account’s
returns could suffer when there is a general market advance and the product holds
significant “short” positions, or when there is a general market decline and the product
holds significant “long” positions. The markets can have considerable volatility from day
to day and even in intra-day trading.
• Multi-Manager Risk.
Multi-manager product performance is dependent upon the success of
the adviser and any sub-advisers in implementing the product’s investment strategies in
pursuit of its goal. To a significant extent, a Client Account’s performance will depend on
the success of the adviser’s methodology in allocating the Client Account’s assets to sub-
advisers and its selection and oversight of the sub-advisers. The sub-advisers’ investment
styles will not always be complementary, which could adversely affect the performance of a
Client Account. A sub-adviser’s strategy could be out of favor at any time. In addition,
because each sub-adviser makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the
sub-advisers will purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating
their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time.
This would cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
• Risks Associated with Secondary Investments.
Registered PE Funds will, from time to
time, opportunistically invest in Third-Party Portfolio Funds acquired as “secondary
investments” in privately negotiated transactions from investors in the Third-Party
Portfolio Funds (typically after the end of the Third-Party Portfolio Fund’s fundraising
period).
Competition for Secondary Investment Opportunities
. Many institutional investors,
including other fund-of-funds entities, as well as existing investors of private equity funds
could seek to purchase secondary interests of the same Third-Party Portfolio Fund that
Registered PE Funds also seek to purchase. In addition, many top-tier Portfolio Managers
have become more selective by adopting policies or practices that exclude certain types of
investors, such as fund-of-funds. Portfolio Managers can also be partial to secondary
interests being purchased by existing investors of their funds with whom they have
existing relationships. In addition, some secondary opportunities are conducted pursuant
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to specified methodologies (such as a right of first refusal granted to existing investors or
a so-called ‘‘Dutch auction,’’ where the price of the investment is lowered until a bidder
bids and that first bidder purchases the investment, thereby limiting a bidder’s ability to
compete for price), which can restrict the availability of such opportunity for Registered
PE Funds. No assurance can be given that the Registered PE Funds will be able to identify
investment opportunities that satisfy the Registered PE Funds’ investment objectives and
desired diversification goals or, if the Registered PE Funds is successful in identifying such
investment opportunities, that the Registered PE Funds will be permitted to invest, or
invest in the amounts desired, in such opportunities.
Nature of Secondary Investments
. With respect to “secondary investments,” because the
Registered PE Funds will not be acquiring interests of Third-Party Portfolio Funds directly
from the issuers, it is generally not expected that the Registered PE Funds will have the
opportunity to negotiate the terms of the interests being acquired or other special rights
or privileges. There can be no assurance as to the number of investment opportunities that
will be presented to the Registered PE Funds. In addition, valuation of the interests could
be difficult, as there generally will be no established market for those investments or for
the privately-held portfolio companies in which a Third-Party Portfolio Fund invests.
Moreover, the purchase price of interests in a Third-Party Portfolio Fund will be subject
to negotiation with the sellers of the interests and there is no assurance that the Registered
PE Funds will be able to purchase interests at attractive discounts to NAV, or at all. The
overall performance of the Third-Party Portfolio Fund will depend in large part on the
acquisition price paid by the Registered PE Funds for its secondary interests, the structure
of such acquisitions and the overall success of the underlying private equity fund.
Pooled Secondary Investments
. From time to time, a Registered PE Fund could have the
opportunity to acquire a portfolio of interests in a Third-Party Portfolio Funds from a
seller, on an ‘‘all or nothing’’ basis. Where that is the case, certain of the interests could be
less attractive than others, and certain of the Portfolio Managers managing the Third-Party
Portfolio Funds could be more familiar to NBIA or more experienced or highly regarded
than others. In addition, it is possible that a Registered PE Fund will not be to carve out
those investments which NBIA considers (for commercial, tax legal or other reasons) less
attractive from the deal.
Contingent Liabilities Associated with Secondary Investments
. In some cases where a
Registered PE Fund acquires an interest in a Third-Party Portfolio Fund through a
secondary transaction, the Registered PE Fund will acquire contingent liabilities of the
seller of the interest. More specifically, where the seller has received distributions from
the relevant Third-Party Portfolio Fund and, subsequently, that Third-Party Portfolio
Fund recalls one or more of these distributions, the Registered PE Funds (as the purchaser
of the interest to which such distributions are attributable and not the seller) could be
obligated to return the monies equivalent to such distribution to the Third-Party Portfolio
Fund. While the Registered PE Funds could, in turn, make a claim against the seller for
any such monies so paid to the Third-Party Portfolio Fund, there can be no assurances that
the Registered PE Funds would prevail on such claim.
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Risk of Early Termination
. The governing documents of the Third-Party Portfolio Funds
are expected to include provisions that would enable the Portfolio Manager or a majority
in interest (or higher percentage) of their limited partners or members, under certain
circumstances, to terminate the Third-Party Portfolio Fund prior to the end of their
respective stated terms. Early termination of a Third-Party Portfolio Fund in which the
Registered PE Funds is invested could result in (i) the Registered PE Funds having
distributed to it a portfolio of immature and illiquid securities, or (ii) the Registered PE
Fund’s inability to invest all of its capital commitments as anticipated, either of which
could have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Registered PE Fund.
• Risks Associated with the Specialty Finance Industry.
The technology-enabled
specialty finance platform industry represents a novel approach to borrowing and
investing that could fail to comply with, among other things, federal and state securities
laws, borrower protection laws, state lending laws, federal consumer protection laws and
the state counterparts to such consumer protection laws. It is possible that borrowers will
dispute the enforceability of their obligations under borrower or consumer protection
laws after collection actions have commenced, or otherwise seek damages under these
laws. Federal regulatory agencies and their state counterparts could investigate a
platform’s compliance, or the compliance of the platform’s business partners, with these
regulatory obligations, and could undertake enforcement actions with respect to alleged
law violations. A failure to comply with such regulatory regimes could subject specialty
finance platforms to more extensive regulation and ultimately impair a Client Account’s
ability to achieve its investment objective.
• Risks of Private Equity Investments Generally
. Private equity investments entail a high
degree of risk and in most cases are highly illiquid and difficult to value. Unless and until
those investments are sold or mature into marketable securities, they will remain illiquid.
As a general matter, companies in which a Client Account invests generally face intense
competition, including competition from companies with far greater financial resources;
more extensive research, development, technological, marketing and other capabilities;
and a larger number of qualified managerial and technical personnel.
Private Companies and Pre-IPO Investments
Generally, a Client Account will not obtain or seek to obtain any control over the
management of any portfolio company in which any Client Account invests (other than
with respect to certain strategies such as special situations). The success of each
investment made by a Client Account will largely depend on the ability and success of the
management of the portfolio companies in addition to economic and market factors. See
also “
” in this Item 8.C.
• Risks relating to SPACs and SPAC Sponsors.
SPACs
Certain Client Accounts will invest in
special purpose acquisition companies (“
”) and their sponsors. Those investments
are speculative, involve a higher degree of risk than more traditional investments, are not
suitable for all investors and are intended for experienced and sophisticated investors
who are willing to bear the high economic risk of the investment. A SPAC is a publicly
traded company formed for the purpose of raising capital through an initial public offering
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to fund the acquisition, through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or
other similar business combination, of typically one operating business. Following the
acquisition of a target company, a SPAC typically would not exercise control over the
management of such target company; instead, the management of the target would take
over control of the SPAC.
Capital raised through the initial public offering of securities of a SPAC is typically placed
into a trust account until the target company is acquired or a predetermined period of time
elapses. Investors in a SPAC may receive a return on their investment in the event that a
target company is acquired and such target company's value increased. In the event that a
SPAC is unable to acquire a target company by the deadline, the SPAC would be forced to
liquidate its assets, which could result in losses due to the expenses and liabilities of the
SPAC. In certain circumstances, the SPAC would be able to extend the time period it has to
complete an acquisition.
Investors in a SPAC are subject to the risk that, among other things, (i) the SPAC is unable
to locate or acquire target companies by the deadline, (ii) assets in the trust are subject to
third-party claims against the SPAC, which could reduce the per share liquidation price
received by the investors in the SPAC, (iii) the SPAC is exempt from the rules promulgated
by the SEC to protect investors in “blank check” companies, such as Rule 419 promulgated
under the Securities Act, so that investors in such SPAC are not afforded the benefits or
protections of those rules, (iv) the SPAC is only able to complete one business combination,
which causes it to be solely dependent on a single business, (v) the value of any target
company decreases following its acquisition by the SPAC, (vi) the inability to redeem due
to the failure to hold the securities in the SPAC on the record date, (vii) the SPAC is unable
to consummate a business combination, and as a result, public stockholders are forced to
wait until the deadline before liquidating distributions are made, and (viii) redemption
rights make the SPAC unattractive to targets or preclude the SPAC from completing a
business combination. In addition, most SPACs are illiquid and have a concentrated
shareholder base that tends to be comprised of hedge funds (at least at inception).
At the time of investment, it is possible that a SPAC has not yet selected or approached any
prospective target businesses with respect to a business combination. In those
circumstances, there will likely be limited basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of
such SPAC's investment in any particular target business. To the extent that a SPAC
completes a business combination, it will be affected by numerous risks inherent in the
business operations of the acquired company or companies.
Investment in SPAC sponsors are subject to additional risks, including the potential loss of
the entire at-risk investment and the founder shares and warrants becoming worthless if
no business combination is completed. Additionally, there has been increasing regulatory
scrutiny of SPACs relating to disclosures made to clients and the dissemination of material
non-public information. If a SPAC or its management becomes involved in a regulatory
investigation, the ability of the SPAC to complete a business combination could be
impaired. For these and additional reasons, investments in SPACs and SPAC sponsors are
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Those risks may be exacerbated by the
speculative and involve a high degree of risk.
recent proliferation of SPAC IPOs.
On January 24, 2024, the SEC adopted significant changes to the rules around SPAC
transactions. Among other things, the rules require enhanced disclosure on conflicts of
interest between SPAC investors and SPAC sponsors, including disclosure on sponsor
promote economics and shareholder dilution, new requirements and disclosures related
to any independent fairness opinion received on a de-SPAC transaction, and the removal
of the safe harbor from liability when using financial projections and other forward-
looking statements, which could lead to an increase in the potential liability for SPAC
sponsors and underwriters should a target company materially miss those financial
projections. The rules are silent on the treatment of existing SPACs. The rules could be
damaging for SPAC sponsors and may curtail the total amount of SPAC sponsor capital
while shrinking the overall SPAC market, including through a reduction in new SPAC IPOs.
The new rules and rule amendments became effective on July 1, 2024.
• Special Risks Associated with Private Equity Investments by Registered PE Funds.
A Registered PE Fund’s investment portfolio will generally consist of investments in
privately held companies (either directly or through Portfolio Funds), and operating
results for the portfolio companies in a specified period will be difficult to predict. Such
investments involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in
substantial losses and include the following risk:
Buyout Funds.
Buyout transactions can result in new enterprises that are subject to
extreme volatility, require time for maturity and can require additional capital. In addition,
they frequently rely on borrowing significant amounts of capital, which can increase profit
potential but at the same time increase the risk of loss. Leveraged companies are often
subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants. The leverage can impair the ability
of these companies to finance their future operations and capital needs. Also, their
flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to business
opportunities can be limited. A leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to
increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money was not used. Although
these investments can offer the opportunity for significant gains, such buyout investments
involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses,
which risks generally are greater than the risks of investing in public companies that are
not be as leveraged.
• Special Situations Risks.
e.g.,
Certain Client Accounts, including certain Registered PE Funds
and Private Funds, will invest, directly or indirectly through Portfolio Funds, in actual or
anticipated special situations (
acquisitions, spin-offs, reorganizations and
liquidations, tender offers and bankruptcies). The special situations asset class include
portfolio companies that are in transition, out of favor, financially leveraged or troubled,
potentially troubled, or involved in major strategic actions, restructurings, bankruptcy,
reorganization, or liquidation. Those companies often experience, or are expected to
experience, financial difficulties that are difficult to overcome. The securities of such
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companies are likely to be particularly risky investments. Such companies’ securities are
often considered speculative, and the ability of such companies to pay their debts on
schedule could be affected by adverse interest rate movements, changes in the general
economic climate, economic factors affecting a particular
industry or specific
developments within such companies. Such investments could, in certain circumstances,
subject a Client Account, directly or indirectly, to certain additional potential liabilities.
For example, under certain circumstances, a lender who has inappropriately exercised
control of the management and policies of a debtor could have its claims subordinated, or
disallowed, or be found liable for damages suffered by parties as a result of such actions.
In addition, under certain circumstances, payments by such companies to us could be
required to be returned if any such payment is later determined to have been a fraudulent
conveyance or a preferential payment. Numerous other risks also arise in the workout and
bankruptcy contexts. In addition, there could be no minimum credit standard that is a
prerequisite to a Client Account’s direct or indirect investment in any instrument and it is
possible that a significant portion of the obligations and preferred stock in which a Client
Account directly or indirectly invests will be less than investment grade.
• Subsidiary Risk.
Subsidiary
Certain Affiliated Registered Funds will invest in wholly-owned
subsidiaries (“
”) to seek certain investment exposures, such as commodities
exposure. By investing in a Subsidiary, the Affiliated Registered Fund is indirectly exposed
to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments and operations. A Subsidiary is
generally not registered under the Investment Company Act and accordingly, not subject
to all the investor protections of the Investment Company Act.
• Venture Capital Investments.
Certain Client Accounts, including certain Registered PE
Funds and Private Funds, will invest in venture capital investments, including through
venture capital funds. It is possible that the companies in which those Client Accounts
invest, directly or indirectly, have limited operating histories; are in a conceptual or early
stage of development; offer services or products that are not yet developed or ready to be
marketed, or that have no established market; are attempting to implement novel business
plans or to become public; are operating at a loss or have significant fluctuations in
operating results, are engaged in a rapidly changing business; require substantial
additional capital to support their operations to finance expansion or maintain their
competitive position; or otherwise have a weak financial condition. Although venture
capital investments can offer the opportunity for significant gains, such investments
involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses,
which risks generally are greater than the risks of investing in public companies that are at
a later stage of development.
Additional Risks for Strategies Investing in Digital Assets, Including Cryptocurrencies
The following is a summary of material risks specific to NBIA strategies that invest in digital assets,
including cryptocurrencies, that should be considered along with the general risks listed above.
• Risks Relating to Investing in Digital Assets, Including Cryptocurrency.
A “digital
asset” is an asset that is issued and transferred using distributed ledger or blockchain
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technology, including, but not limited to, so-called “virtual currencies,” “coins” and
“tokens.” Cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset. References made herein to “digital
assets” should be construed as referring to all digital assets, including cryptocurrency,
specifically.
Although Client Accounts will generally not invest in any digital asset, including
cryptocurrency, directly, they will be indirectly exposed to cryptocurrency via
cryptocurrency derivatives and investments in vehicles (such as trusts and ETFs) that
invest in cryptocurrency, and will therefore be subject to the risks associated with
investing in digital assets, generally, and in cryptocurrency, specifically.
Virtual currencies are not legal tender in the United States and many question whether
they have intrinsic value. The price of many virtual currencies is based on the agreement
of the parties to a transaction.
Digital assets are a rapidly evolving industry. The growth of this industry is subject to a
high degree of uncertainty. The factors affecting the further development of this industry,
include, but are not limited to:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Continued worldwide growth in the adoption and use of digital assets;
Government and quasi-government regulation of digital assets and their use
(including the regulation of exchanges, custodians and other service providers in
the digital assets industry), or restrictions on or regulation of access to and
operation of digital asset networks;
Changes in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences;
The maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the
digital asset networks;
The availability and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling
goods and services, including new means of using fiat currencies (i.e., currencies
issued by a government and backed by the credit of that government, as opposed
to being backed by a physical commodity such as gold or silver);
The use of the networks supporting digital assets for developing smart contracts
and distributed applications;
General economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to digital
assets;
The actual or perceived role that digital assets play in exacerbating climate change
and actual or anticipated corresponding regulatory responses; and
Negative consumer or public perception of digital assets, for instance, the
perception that digital assets may disproportionately facilitate criminal activities.
Relating to Cryptocurrency Price Volatility.
• Risks
One of the risks in holding
derivative instruments where value is tied to cryptocurrencies is the rapid fluctuation of
the market price of the applicable cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies have demonstrated
significant volatility. For example, the exchange rate of Bitcoin into U.S. dollars has been
very volatile. The price of cryptocurrencies, and related derivative instruments, may be
affected by a wide variety of complex and difficult to predict factors such as:
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cryptocurrency supply and demand; rewards and transaction fees for the recording of
transactions on the blockchain; difficulties with converting cryptocurrency to fiat
currencies; availability and access to cryptocurrency service providers (such as payment
processors), exchanges, miners or other cryptocurrency users and market participants;
perceived or actual cryptocurrency network or cryptocurrency vulnerabilities; inflation
levels; fiscal policy; interest rates; and political, regulatory, natural and economic events.
• The Value of Cryptocurrencies is Dependent, Directly or Indirectly, on Prices
Established by Cryptocurrency Exchanges and Other Trading Venues, Which Are
New and, in Most Cases, Largely Unregulated.
Cryptocurrency exchanges and other
trading venues on which cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases,
largely unregulated and may therefore be more exposed to fraud and failure than
established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and other currencies. Many
such cryptocurrency trading venues do not provide the public with significant
information regarding proof of their reserves (e.g., confirmation of amounts standing to
the credit of customers’ accounts) or their ownership structure, management teams,
corporate practices or regulatory compliance. Much of the daily trading volume of
cryptocurrencies is conducted on poorly capitalized, unregulated, unaudited and
unaccountable exchanges located outside of the United States where there is little to no
regulation governing trading of cryptocurrencies. Such exchanges may engage in
unethical practices that may have a significant impact on cryptocurrency pricing, such as
front-running, wash trades and trading with insufficient funds. To the extent that
cryptocurrency exchanges or other trading venues are involved in fraud or experience
security failures or other operational issues, this could result in broad declines in
cryptocurrency market prices and adversely affect an investment in digital assets.
Cryptocurrency prices on exchanges have been volatile and subject to influence by many
factors, including the levels of liquidity on the exchanges specifically and on the exchange
market generally. For example, digital asset exchanges generally lack certain safeguards
put in place by more traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the
exchange and to prevent flash crashes, such as limit-down circuit breakers. Even the
largest exchanges have been subject to operational interruption and malfeasance (e.g.,
thefts of cryptocurrencies from operational or “hot” wallets, misappropriation of
deposited digital assets, suspension of trading on exchanges due to distributed denial-of-
service attacks by hackers and/or malware and bankruptcy proceedings or cessation of
services by exchanges), limiting the liquidity of cryptocurrencies on the affected
exchange and resulting in volatile prices and a reduction in confidence in exchanges
generally. The price of cryptocurrencies on exchanges may also be impacted by policies
on or interruptions in the deposit or withdrawal of fiat currency into or out of larger
cryptocurrency exchanges. The prices of digital assets on digital asset exchanges may be
subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more
traditional exchanges. These risks also apply to other cryptocurrency trading venues,
including OTC markets and derivatives platforms. Although Client Accounts will
generally not invest in cryptocurrency directly and currently NBIA intends to trade
cryptocurrency derivatives only through regulated U.S. exchanges, and despite global
efforts to ensure accurate pricing of cryptocurrency, the price of cryptocurrencies
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generally remains subject to volatility experienced by the exchanges and other trading
venues for the reasons outlined above. Such volatility can adversely affect investments in
cryptocurrency and related derivative instruments.
Unlike broker-dealers registered with the SEC, digital asset exchanges are not required to
maintain possession of the digital assets deposited by customers. As a result, digital assets
held in an account at an exchange are subject to the risk that the exchange operator may
sell, lend or otherwise rehypothecate those digital assets, subjecting them to risk of loss.
Those digital assets may also be lost as a result of fraud or other bad acts of the exchange
operator or its employees. To the extent that a digital asset exchange, as a result of fraud,
the rehypothecation of customer assets or otherwise, becomes insolvent or fails to return
its customers’ digital assets upon a withdrawal request, customers’ rights to recover
deposited digital assets are uncertain and those customers could incur material losses. Any
amounts deposited with an exchange are subject to credit risk. In the event that customers
of a digital asset exchange incur losses due to any of the foregoing circumstances,
confidence in digital asset markets may be adversely impacted and the prices of digital
assets generally may be adversely impacted.
Client Accounts that trade in derivatives referencing cryptocurrency will trade on a
limited number of exchanges (and potentially only a single exchange) because of the
limited availability of exchanges offering the ability to trade in options on cryptocurrency
futures. Trading on a single exchange may result in less favorable prices and decreased
liquidity and therefore could have an adverse effect on the Client Account.
Some of the largest virtual currency exchanges are located outside the United States. Some
of the jurisdictions in which these exchanges are located have less developed legal systems
and bodies of commercial law and practices normally found in countries with more
developed market economies.
While Client Accounts will not invest in cryptocurrency directly, the occurrence of any of
the foregoing could have an adverse effect on the cryptocurrency-related securities and
derivatives in which a Client Account may invest.
• Scalability Risks.
Many digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges. As the
use of digital asset networks increases without a corresponding increase in throughput
of the networks, average fees and settlement times can become prohibitively high.
Certain digital networks have been, at times, at capacity, which has led to increased
transaction fees. Increased fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain
use cases for digital assets (e.g., micropayments), and can reduce demand for and the
price of digital assets, which could adversely impact an investment in digital assets.
Additionally, digital assets which rely on proof-of-work validation utilize substantial
resources to power the network. The environmental drain may curb adoption and growth
of digital assets.
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• Risk to Digital Asset Networks from Malicious Actors.
Certain digital asset networks,
including the Bitcoin network, are subject to control by entities that capture a significant
amount of the network’s processing power, a significant percentage of the digital asset
issued and outstanding, or a significant number of developers or intermediaries
important for the operation and maintenance of such digital asset network. Blockchain
networks secured by a proof-of-work algorithm depend on the strength of processing
power of participants to protect the network. If a malicious actor or botnet (a volunteer
or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the
actions of the computers) obtains a majority of the processing power dedicated to mining
on a digital asset network, it may be able to alter the blockchain on which the network
and most transactions rely by constructing fraudulent blocks or preventing certain
transactions from completing in a timely manner, or at all. The malicious actor or botnet
could exclude or modify the ordering of transactions. However, it could not generate new
digital assets or transactions using such control. The malicious actor could also “double-
spend” its own digital assets (i.e., spend the same digital assets in more than one
transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users’ transactions for so long as it
maintained control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet did not yield its
control of the processing power on the digital asset network or the network community
did not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to the
blockchain may not be possible. Further, a malicious actor or botnet could create a flood
of transactions in order to slow down confirmations of transactions on the relevant
digital asset network.
A significant disruption in internet connectivity could also disrupt a digital asset’s
network operations until the disruption is resolved and have an adverse effect on the
price of digital assets. In particular, some digital assets have been subjected to a number
of denial-of-service attacks, which have led to temporary delays in block creation and in
the transfer of digital assets. Moreover, it is possible that as digital assets increase in
value, they may become bigger targets for hackers and subject to more frequent hacking
and denial-of-service attacks.
Advances in code cracking, or technical advances such as the development of quantum
computers, could result in the theft or loss of digital assets.
• Blockchain “Fork” Risk.
The software powering digital assets is generally open source,
meaning that any user can download the software, modify it and then propose that the
users and miners of the digital asset adopt the modification. If less than a substantial
majority of users and miners consent to the proposed modification, and the modification
is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, the consequence would be
what is known as a “fork” of the network, with one prong running the pre-modified
software and the other running the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be
the existence of two versions of the digital asset running in parallel, yet lacking
interchangeability. Such a fork could adversely affect the digital asset’s viability.
Furthermore, a hard fork can introduce new security risks. Additionally, a Client Account
with exposure to a digital asset that experiences a hard fork may be unable to participate
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in any benefits of the hard fork (for instance, where an ETF through which the Client
Account indirectly holds the digital asset is unable to receive the new alternative asset or
where the terms of the relevant derivative instrument do not provide for the Client
Account to receive the economic benefit of the new asset).
• Digital Asset Derivatives Risks.
Regulated markets for digital asset derivatives are
developing in the United States. Registered futures exchanges and registered swap
execution facilities, which are regulated by the CFTC, currently offer futures, options, and
swaps on just a handful of digital assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP and
Solana (SOL), but may in the future offer derivatives referencing other digital assets.
However, there can be no assurance that these exchanges and swap execution facilities
will continue to offer the existing digital asset derivatives or will offer any additional
derivatives in the future. Regulated markets for digital asset derivatives, particularly
where those derivatives trade at a material volume, will impact the value, and may impact
the liquidity, of the referenced digital assets. For instance, these markets may facilitate
more short interest in digital assets. Markets for unregulated, or “over the counter,”
digital asset derivatives are also developing and may have similar effects on digital assets.
•
Digital asset derivatives may experience significant price volatility and the initial margin
for digital asset derivatives will, in certain cases, be set as a percentage of the value of the
particular contract, which means that margin requirements for long positions can
increase if the price of the contract rises. In addition, some futures commission
merchants may pose restrictions on customer trading activity in digital asset derivatives,
such as requiring additional margin, imposing position limits, prohibiting naked shorting
or prohibiting give-in transactions. The rules of certain designated contract markets
impose trading halts that may restrict a market participant's ability to exit a position
during a period of high volatility.
Intellectual Property Rights or Other Legal Claims May Adversely Affect the
Operation of Digital Asset Networks.
Third parties may assert intellectual property
claims relating to the operation of various digital assets and their source codes, or related
mathematical algorithms, relating to the holding and transfer of such assets. Regardless
of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that
reduces confidence in a digital asset’s long-term viability or the ability of end-users to
hold digital assets may adversely affect an investment in those digital assets.
• Open-Source Protocol Risk.
Certain digital asset networks operate based on open-
source protocols maintained by the groups of core developers. As these network
protocols are not sold and their use does not generate revenues for development teams,
core developers may not be directly compensated for maintaining and updating the
network protocols. Consequently, developers may lack a financial incentive to maintain
or develop the network, and the core developers may lack the resources to adequately
address emerging issues with the networks. There can be no guarantee that developer
support for any network will continue or be sufficient in the future. Additionally, some
development and developers are funded by companies or other entities whose interests
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(or whose controlling persons’ interests) may be at odds with other participants in the
network or with investors’ interests.
• Lack of Sufficient Mining Incentives.
Miners for digital assets may generate revenue
from both newly created digital assets known as the “block reward” and from fees taken
upon verification of transactions. If the award of new units of digital assets for solving
blocks declines and/or the difficulty of solving blocks increases, and transaction fees
voluntarily paid by participants are not sufficiently high, miners may not have an
adequate incentive to continue mining and may cease their mining operations. Miners
ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power on the network, which
would adversely affect the confirmation process for transactions (i.e., temporarily
decreasing the speed at which blocks are added to the blockchain until the next scheduled
adjustment in difficulty for block solutions) and make digital asset networks more
vulnerable to a malicious actor or botnet obtaining sufficient control to manipulate the
blockchain and hinder transactions.
• Risk of Distortion from Stablecoins.
Although Client Accounts will generally not invest
in stablecoins, they may nonetheless be exposed to risks that stablecoins pose for the
digital asset market. Stablecoins are digital assets designed to have a stable value over
time, as compared to typically more volatile digital assets, and are typically marketed as
being pegged to a fiat currency, such as USD. Although the prices of stablecoins are
intended to be stable, in many cases their prices fluctuate, sometimes significantly. This
volatility has in the past coincided with increased volatility in the prices of other digital
assets. The majority of transactions in the digital asset ecosystem are pairs of stablecoins
with other tokens. Because stablecoins are systemically important to the digital asset
ecosystem, volatility in stablecoin prices could foreseeably have an outsized impact on
the market that is difficult to predict. In addition, some digital asset exchanges, including
those with significant global volumes, are reliant upon stablecoins because they cannot
obtain or choose not to obtain banking relationships, and therefore cannot receive or
send USD or other fiat currencies to or from customers.
Although certain stablecoins are expected to become subject to the U.S. “GENIUS Act”
beginning in 2027, stablecoins are currently subject to limited regulation and are
therefore subject to higher risk of theft, fraud, or operational problems relative to cash
and cash equivalents. It is difficult to predict how the U.S. or any foreign government may
regulate stablecoins in the future. However, any legislation enacted to address the risks
associated with stablecoins could affect the growth and usability of stablecoins, and could
adversely affect digital assets in general.
• Risks Related to Regulation of Digital Assets and the Digital Asset Industry.
U.S. Regulatory Risk
. As digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the
U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies have been examining the
operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset exchange
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market. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued enforcement actions,
advisories, and rules relating to digital asset markets.
FinCEN
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“
”) requires any administrator or
exchanger of convertible digital assets to register with FinCEN as a money transmitter and
comply with the anti-money laundering regulations applicable to money transmitters.
The SEC and some state regulators have determined that certain tokens are securities, and
courts in the United States are considering whether various digital assets are appropriately
treated as securities under federal and state securities laws. The SEC has brought
enforcement actions against firms engaged in digital asset activities on the basis that
various digital assets are appropriately treated as securities under U.S. federal securities
laws. In addition to several cases alleging violations of anti-fraud provisions of U.S. federal
securities laws in connection with digital asset offerings, the SEC has also brought actions
against intermediaries providing services related to digital assets. The SEC could determine
that additional types of digital assets should be classified or treated as securities, which
would result in regulation of one or more digital assets or intermediaries engaged in
services involving those assets under the U.S. federal securities laws.
U.S. state securities regulators have also been scrutinizing activities involving digital assets.
Various U.S. states have considered or approved digital asset business activity statutes or
rules, passing, for example, regulations or guidance. The inconsistency in the applicability
of state laws to various digital asset businesses may make it more difficult for these
businesses to broadly provide services, which may affect consumer adoption of digital
assets and their price. U.S. state agencies have brought action against firms engaged in
digital asset activities.
Should a digital asset exchange or other service provider determine that certain digital
assets are or may soon be determined by the SEC to be securities, the exchange may delist
such digital assets. Additionally, there have been and may in the future be enforcement
actions against U.S. and foreign digital asset exchanges doing business in the United States
that facilitate trading in digital assets that are securities, which could decrease the prices
for all digital assets.
CEA
The CFTC treats certain digital assets as “commodities” and the CFTC has not, to date, taken
the view that any particular digital asset is a “commodity interest” under the Commodity
Exchange Act, as amended (the “
”). To the extent that any digital assets are deemed to
fall within the definition of a “commodity interest” under the CEA, NBIA may be subject to
additional regulation under the CEA and CFTC regulations, including disclosure and
reporting requirements. If NBIA determined not to comply with such additional regulatory
and registration requirements, strategies trading in some or all digital assets may be
terminated. Any such termination could result in the liquidation of a Client Account’s digital
assets and/or digital asset derivatives at a time that is disadvantageous to the Client
Account.
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The effect of any future regulatory change on digital assets is impossible to predict, but such
Potential Regulations in Foreign Jurisdictions
change could be substantial and adverse.
. Digital assets currently face an uncertain
regulatory landscape in many foreign jurisdictions. Many foreign regulatory bodies have
not yet issued official statements regarding determinations on regulation of digital assets,
users or networks. As a result, there remains significant uncertainty regarding these
regulator’s future determinations and actions with respect to the regulation of digital
assets and digital asset exchanges.
Various foreign jurisdictions may, in the near future, adopt laws, regulations or directives
that affect the digital assets. Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of
the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of digital assets by users,
merchants and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the
growth or sustainability of the digital asset economy in these jurisdictions as well as in the
United States and elsewhere, or otherwise negatively affect the value of digital assets.
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Disciplinary Information
Item 9:
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or
disciplinary events that would be material to a client’s or potential client’s evaluation of the Firm
or the integrity of the Firm’s management in this item. NBIA has no items to disclose.
143
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Item 10:
A. Registration as a Broker-Dealer or Registered Representative
NBIA is not a registered broker or dealer. Most NBIA advisory personnel are registered
representatives with FINRA through their affiliation with NBIA’s registered broker-dealer
affiliate, NBBD. See Items 5.E and 10.C.1.
B. Registration as a Futures Commission Merchant, Commodity Pool Operator,
Commodity Trading Advisor or Associated Person
NFA
NBIA is registered as a CTA and CPO with the CFTC. NBIA is not registered as a Futures
Commission Merchant. Certain of NBIA’s management and personnel are registered with the
National Futures Association (the “
”) as principals or associated persons of NBIA or one or
Introducing Broker
more affiliates of NBIA (including NBBD, which is registered as a CTA and introducing broker with
the CFTC (“
”)). Notwithstanding such registrations, NBIA relies on
exemptions from registration as a CPO and CTA with respect to certain accounts and pools that
qualify for such exemptions.
C. Material Relationships
NBIA currently has certain relationships or arrangements with related persons that are material
to its advisory business or its clients. Below is a discussion of such relationships/arrangements,
the related conflicts of interest, and issues that present the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Broker-dealer, municipal securities dealer, or government securities dealer or
1.
broker
NBIA is affiliated with NBBD, a U.S. registered broker-dealer. In addition, most NBIA advisory
personnel are registered representatives with FINRA through their affiliation with NBBD. See
Item 11.B.3.
NBBD Brokers
For the majority of portfolio transactions for Separate Accounts, Wrap Program accounts,
Unbundled Program accounts, and Dual Contract Program accounts, NBBD does not receive a
brokerage commission for effecting securities trades. In those cases where NBBD does receive
brokerage commissions, they are at a negotiated rate. For Neuberger Wealth Accounts, Clients
generally pay an “all-inclusive fee” for advisory and brokerage services. See also Item 5.A.1 for
certain instances when NBBD will receive brokerage commissions or other fees for certain
accounts and Item 5.E. for additional compensation that can be received by NBBD and NBBD’s
broker-dealer representatives (“
”).
Subject to applicable law, NBBD receives sales commissions in connection with the sale of
interests in certain Private Funds and Affiliated Registered Funds. Some sales commissions will
144
be a portion of, or calculated from, NBIA’s management fee with respect to such shares or
interests. In addition, in its capacity as a registered broker-dealer, NBBD executes transactions
for certain of the Private Funds and receives brokerage commissions in that regard. Further
information on the services provided by NBBD on behalf of the Private Funds is contained in the
Offering Documents of the relevant Private Fund. All transactions executed by NBBD for the
Affiliated Registered Funds are conducted in accordance with the requirements of Rule 17e-1
under the Investment Company Act. NBBD is also registered as a Municipal Securities Dealer with
7
the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
NBBD is the principal underwriter and distributor
for the Affiliated Registered Funds. In addition, registered representatives of NBBD offer and sell
shares of the Affiliated Registered Funds. NBBD also acts as a distributor for certain Private Funds
and Sub-Advised Accounts. See Item 11.B.3 and Item 12.A.
Wealth Analysis
WA Client(s)
NBBD Wealth Analyst(s)
”) to
From time to time, NBBD provides wealth planning analyses (each, a “
certain eligible clients (“
”) free of charge. The Wealth Analysis is intended solely for
informational and discussion purposes to educate WA Clients on financial planning topics and
help WA Clients better understand their financial profile and evaluate possible options, and is
based on information provided by the WA Clients. None of NBIA, NBBD nor their respective
affiliates provide any on-going or periodic review, follow-up or monitoring of any of the topics
covered in any Wealth Analysis. Wealth Analyses and any related discussions are subject to a
separate written agreement and do not constitute investment advice and are not part of any
investment advisory or fiduciary services offered by NBIA, NBBD or their respective affiliates.
None of NBIA, NBBD nor their respective affiliates serve as a fiduciary or investment adviser in
connection with any Wealth Analysis, and the Wealth Analysis and any related discussions are not
intended to serve as a primary basis for any decision or as a recommendation with respect to any
investment, financial, insurance, trust and estate or tax planning determination. NBBD has
designated specific employee(s) with oversight responsibilities for each Wealth Analysis
produced for WA Clients (“
”). None of NBIA, NBBD nor their respective
affiliates comply with any industry association standards or requirements in respect of the Wealth
Analysis and any related discussions, or monitor the requirements of the Certified Financial
Planner™ (CFP®) designation for any NBBD Wealth Analyst that holds it. NBBD is not providing
“financial planning services” as such term is defined by any industry association, including the
CFP Board.
In providing investment management services to its clients, NBIA draws upon the trading,
research, operational and administrative resources of its affiliated entities. In addition, from time
to time, NBIA uses security analyses and research reports prepared by its affiliated entities.
NBIA utilizes Placement Agents in offering certain Private Funds and Registered PE Funds to
investors. These Placement Agents include NBBD and unaffiliated registered broker-dealers. See
Item 5.E. and Item 14.B. Officers of NBBD also solicit Separate Account clients for NBIA.
7
While NBBD is registered as a Municipal Securities Dealer with the Municipal Securities
Rulemaking Board, it does not currently engage in any activities related to this registration.
145
The Firm has established policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse by
the Firm and its personnel of material information regarding issuers of securities that has not
been publicly disseminated. See Item 11.D.1.
2.
Investment Company or other pooled investment vehicles
NBIA acts as adviser to the Affiliated Registered Funds. NBIA also acts as an adviser or sub-adviser
to Private Funds where a related party is a general partner, managing member or the adviser.
Affiliated
Certain management persons of NBIA act as officers and directors of certain Affiliated Registered
Funds
Funds, affiliated Non-U.S. Registered Funds, Private Funds and Affiliated CITs (“
”). In addition, NBIA serves as a sub-adviser to Non-U.S. Registered Funds advised by
affiliates of NBIA.
NBIA also acts as sub-adviser to Third-Party Registered Funds. Certain affiliates of Third-Party
Registered Funds are clients of affiliates of NBIA or are referred to NBIA by its affiliates, and
receive investment advisory services from NBIA or its affiliates, and other services from certain
NBIA affiliates. As recipients of those services, affiliates of Third-Party Registered Funds will
generally be charged the usual and customary fees by both NBIA and any of its affiliates for
rendering such services. This will likely result in total fees that are higher than would have been
paid had the affiliates obtained all services from either NBIA or its affiliates alone or from other
unrelated brokers and investment advisers.
In its capacity as a registered broker-dealer, NBIA’s affiliate, NBBD, executes transactions for
certain of the Affiliated Funds and receives brokerage commissions in that regard. See Item
10.C.1.
Subject to the investment guidelines and applicable law, NBIA invests certain Client Accounts in
Affiliated Funds. In addition, with respect to its Model Portfolio Programs, NBIA may include
Affiliated Registered Funds and Affiliated Funds in the model portfolios provided to Program
Sponsors or their designees. See Item 5.C regarding additional fees and expenses associated with
investments in Affiliated Funds. NBIA has an incentive to recommend or invest Client Accounts
in, or include in model portfolios, Affiliated Funds (rather than in non-Affiliated Funds) to the
extent NBIA wishes to seed or otherwise increase the assets under management of any particular
Affiliated Fund. In addition, NBIA has a conflict of interest in recommending or investing Client
Accounts in, or including in model portfolios, Affiliated Funds (rather than in non-Affiliated
Funds) as doing so increases the advisory and administrative fees received by NBIA and its
affiliates (unless waived), and the distribution fees, placement fees or other fees received by
certain affiliates of NBIA for distributing Affiliated Funds.
None of NBIA nor its related persons are obligated to allocate any specific amount of time or
investment opportunities to a particular Affiliated Fund. Because NBIA could receive a
Performance Fee in connection with its management of certain Client Accounts, NBIA has an
incentive to devote a disproportionate amount of time and resources to those Client Accounts that
pay a Performance Fee at the expense of other accounts that are charged only a management fee.
NBIA and its related persons intend to devote as much time as they deem necessary for the
management of each account, and will allocate investment opportunities between Private Funds,
146
Affiliated Registered Funds and other Client Accounts managed in a similar strategy in accordance
with NBIA’s trade allocation policy described in Item 12.B.
3.
Other investment adviser or financial planner
“Affiliated Advisers
NBIA has relationships that are material to its investment management business with the
following affiliated investment advisers (the
”).
SEC Registered Affiliated Advisers:
8
Neuberger Berman Asia Limited
Neuberger Berman Europe Limited
Neuberger Berman BD LLC
Neuberger Berman Singapore Pte. Limited
Neuberger Berman Loan Advisers LLC
Neuberger Berman Loan Advisers II LLC
Neuberger Berman Loan Advisers IV LLC
Neuberger Berman Loan Advisers Europe II LP
NB Alternatives Advisers LLC
Neuberger Berman Canada ULC
Neuberger Berman AIFM S.à.r.l. (Exempt Reporting Adviser)
Neuberger Berman Asset Management Ireland Limited (Exempt Reporting Adviser)
Non-SEC Registered Affiliated Advisers:
Neuberger Berman Australia Ltd
Neuberger Berman East Asia Limited
Neuberger Berman India Private Limited
Neuberger Berman Information Consulting (Shanghai) Limited
Neuberger Berman Korea Limited
Neuberger Berman Taiwan (SITE) Limited
Where required, personnel of non-SEC-registered Affiliated Advisers are considered “access
persons” of NBIA and are subject to certain NBIA policies and procedures as well as supervision
and periodic monitoring.
In providing investment management services to its clients, NBIA draws upon the portfolio
management, trading, research, operational and administrative resources of certain of its
affiliates, including using affiliates to execute transactions for Client Accounts. Subject, in certain
8
While NBBD is also registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, it does not currently
provide advisory services to any clients.
147
instances, to the written consent of the client and the regulatory status of the affiliate, NBIA will
engage one or more of the Affiliated Advisers as sub-advisers to certain Client Accounts, including
Separate Accounts, Affiliated Registered Funds or Private Funds, or treat the Affiliated Advisers as
“participating affiliates,” the latter in accordance with the applicable SEC No-Action Letters. In
addition, from time to time, NBIA will delegate some or all of its role as adviser to certain Client
Accounts to Affiliated Advisers. If an affiliate acts as a sub-adviser or is otherwise delegated some
portion of NBIA’s advisory role, investment professionals from such affiliate will likely be
delegated decision-making roles for some or all aspects of the strategy, and delegated authority to
open brokerage accounts and place orders to deploy the strategy. As participating affiliates,
whether or not registered with the SEC, certain affiliates provide designated investment personnel
to associate with NBIA and perform specific advisory services to NBIA consistent with the powers,
authority and mandates of NBIA’s clients. The employees of a participating affiliate are designated
to act for NBIA and are subject to certain NBIA policies and procedures as well as supervision and
periodic monitoring by NBIA. The participating affiliate agrees to make available certain of its
employees to provide investment advisory services to NBIA’s clients through NBIA, to keep certain
books and records in accordance with the Advisers Act and to submit the designated personnel to
requests for information or testimony before SEC representatives. In certain cases, participating
affiliates may also be delegated the duty to place orders for certain securities and commodity
interests transactions pursuant to an agreement between NBIA and the participating affiliate. See
also Item 10.D.
A number of NBIA personnel involved in portfolio management at NBIA are also officers of certain
Affiliated Advisers and provide investment management services to clients of such affiliates.
Neither NBIA nor its related persons are obligated to allocate any specific amount of time or
investment opportunities to a particular Client Account. NBIA and its related persons intend to
devote as much time as they deem necessary for the management of each Client Account and will
allocate investment opportunities in accordance with NBIA’s trade allocation policy. See also Item
6 and Item 11.D.6 with respect to side-by-side management issues.
.
NBIA acts as sub-adviser to certain Separate Account clients of Affiliated Advisers
In addition,
NBIA serves as sub-adviser to certain Non-U.S. Registered Funds and Private Funds advised by
Affiliated Advisers.
Certain employees of Affiliated Advisers provide marketing or client-related services in
connection with NBIA products.
The views and opinions of NBIA, and those of the Affiliated Advisers and their research
departments, will, at times, differ from one another. As a result, Client Accounts managed by NBIA
or its Affiliated Advisers will hold securities or pursue strategies that reflect differing investment
opinions or outlooks at the time of their acquisition or subsequent thereto. See Item 11.B.8 and
11.D.6.
148
Futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading
4.
advisor
NBBD is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and Introducing Broker and is a member of the NFA.
Associated persons of NBBD solicit prospective investors to invest in Private Funds or Separate
Accounts that trade commodity interests and are sponsored or managed by NBIA or an affiliate.
In addition, Neuberger Berman Canada ULC is registered as a CPO and CTA. See Item 10.C.1 and
Item 10.C.3 for a description of NBIA’s relationship with NBBD and Neuberger Berman Canada
ULC.
5.
Banking or thrift institution
Neuberger Trust Companies
NBIA is affiliated with Neuberger Berman Trust Company N.A. and Neuberger Berman Trust
Company of Delaware N.A. (together, “
”). Neuberger Trust
Companies provide comprehensive fiduciary and wealth management services to high net worth
individuals, families and their related entities, including investment management, custody, tax
planning, estate planning, philanthropy and family governance advisory services, and trustee and
executor services. Unless otherwise agreed with the client, tax planning, estate planning, and
philanthropy and family governance advisory services and related discussions are intended solely
for educational and discussion purposes, do not constitute investment advice, and are not
intended to serve as a recommendation or a primary basis for any decision. In those cases, clients
should consult with their own legal and tax advisors. In addition, Neuberger Berman Trust
Company N.A. provides OCIO, investment management, custody, and other fiduciary services to
institutional clients. For such accounts, Neuberger Trust Companies utilize the investment
platform of equity, fixed income and alternative products and strategies of its affiliates (including
NBIA) as its primary investment option. Non-affiliated products and strategies are also available
on a limited basis and generally as a complement to affiliated offerings. The product and strategies
available as investment options with respect to such accounts can differ from those available as
investment options through the Wealth Advisory Program. Neuberger Trust Companies’
preference for affiliated products and strategies will result in incremental benefits to Neuberger
Trust Companies, its affiliates (including NBIA) and their respective employees. Neuberger
Berman Trust Company N.A. generally acts as the IRA custodian for IRA Neuberger Wealth
Accounts for which NBBD acts as broker-dealer. Neuberger Berman Trust Company N.A. also
establishes and maintains Affiliated CITs. Neuberger Trust Companies have appointed NBIA to
manage certain assets of clients of Neuberger Trust Companies. NBIA provides personnel and
services to Neuberger Trust Companies, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement
between Neuberger Trust Companies and Neuberger Berman Group LLC.
In addition, certain NBIA personnel are also officers of Neuberger Berman Trust Company N.A.
and, in their capacity as officers of Neuberger Berman Trust Company N.A., provide portfolio
management and related investment functions to CITs established and maintained by Neuberger
Berman Trust Company N.A. NBIA also provides certain administrative services, including trade
execution and back- and middle-office support for those funds.
149
6.
Accountant or accounting firm
None.
7.
Lawyer or law firm
None.
8.
Insurance company or agency
None.
9.
Pension consultant
None.
10.
Real estate broker or dealer
None.
11.
Sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships
Affiliates of NBIA act as the GP Entity with respect to certain Private Fund entities managed by
NBIA. See Item 10.C.2. Further information about the partnerships where affiliates of NBIA serve
as the GP Entity is available in Section 7.B(1) and (2) of Schedule D of Part 1A of NBIA and its
affiliated SEC-registered investment advisers’ Form ADVs. See Item 10.C.3.
12.
Administrator
None.
D. Selection of Other Investment Advisers
From time to time, NBIA engages other advisers, including its affiliates, to act as sub-advisers for
its Separate Accounts and its Affiliated Funds. In addition, from time to time, NBIA delegates some
or all of its role as adviser to certain Client Accounts to other advisers, including its affiliates. In
addition, NBIA invests certain Client Accounts in the Affiliated Underlying Investments and
Unaffiliated Underlying Investments. In connection with those investments and the selection of
potential sub-advisers or advisers, NBIA selects and recommends certain investment managers
(including Portfolio Managers).
NBIA performs detailed due diligence on potential third-party sub-advisers or advisers to its
Client Accounts and the Portfolio Managers of Affiliated Underlying Investments and Unaffiliated
Underlying Investments before selecting them, including analysis of the adviser's investment
process and results, including the length of their track record, consideration of the assets under
management, and interviews with members of the adviser's senior management and investment
150
The Wealth Advisory Program
teams. NBIA’s decision to invest with an adviser or sub-adviser, depends upon various factors
that include the adviser's performance record, management style, number and continuity of
investment professionals, and client servicing capabilities. With respect to the Wealth Advisory
Program, the third-party strategies and investment vehicles that are available as investment
options are those deemed complementary to the proprietary strategies by the Wealth Investment
Group. In addition, Third-Party Separate Account strategies are limited to those that are approved
by Third-Party SMA Provider. See “
” in Item 8.B.
For a detailed discussion of conflicts of interest that apply with respect to the services provided
by NBIA and NBBD to retail clients, please see NBIA’s Conflict Disclosures and NBBD’s Conflict
Disclosures, which are available at http://www.nb.com/conflicts_disclosure_nbia/ and
http://www.nb.com/conflicts_disclosure_nbbd/, respectively.
151
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal
Item 11:
Trading
A. Code of Ethics
Conflicts Procedures
In order to address conflicts of interest, NBIA has adopted a Compliance Manual and the
Neuberger Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct (the “
”). The Conflicts
Employees
Procedures are applicable to all of NBIA’s officers, members, and employees (collectively,
“
”). The Conflicts Procedures generally set the standard of ethical and professional
business conduct that the Firm and NBIA require of their Employees. The Conflicts Procedures
consist of certain core principles requiring, among other things, that Employees: (1) at all times
place the interests of clients first; (2) conduct all personal securities transactions in a manner as
to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust
and responsibility; (3) refrain from taking advantage of their positions inappropriately; and (4) at
all times conduct themselves in a manner that is beyond reproach and that complies with all
applicable laws and regulations.
As discussed below, the Conflicts Procedures include provisions relating to the confidentiality of
client information, a prohibition on insider trading, approval and disclosure requirements related
to gifts and entertainment, and personal securities trading procedures, among other topics. All
Employees must acknowledge the terms of the Code of Ethics when they begin their employment,
annually, and when the Code of Ethics is materially amended.
In addition, the Conflicts Procedures impose certain additional requirements on Access Persons
(as defined in the Conflicts Procedures) who are advisory persons. The Conflicts Procedures also
require Access Persons to report personal securities transactions on at least a quarterly basis or
as otherwise required and provide the Firm with a detailed summary of certain holdings (initially
upon becoming an Access Person and at least annually thereafter) over which such Access Persons
have control or a direct or indirect beneficial interest. NBIA has also adopted compliance and
business supervisory procedures that are designed to meet its fiduciary obligations to have NBIA
and its employees act in the best interest of its clients.
Clients and prospective clients can obtain a copy of the Code of Ethics by contacting a Client
Service Representative. For a detailed discussion of conflicts of interest with respect to the
advisory services provided by NBIA and its advisory personnel to retail clients, please see NBIA’s
Conflict Disclosures, which is available at http://www.nb.com/conflicts_disclosure_nbia/.
B. Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
From time to time, NBIA will participate or have an interest in client transactions as described
below. NBIA makes all investment management decisions in its clients’ best interests.
152
1.
Principal and Agency Transactions
Principal transactions are generally defined as transactions where an adviser, acting as principal
for its own account or the account of an affiliate, buys from, or sells any security to, an advisory
client. For example, a principal transaction would occur if NBIA bought securities for its own
inventory from a NBIA advisory client or sold securities from its inventory to a NBIA advisory
client.
If NBIA, its affiliates or their respective principals own a substantial equity interest in an account
managed by the adviser, a transaction involving that account and another client could be
characterized as a principal transaction. For example, if NBIA, its affiliates or their respective
principals have a substantial equity interest in an Affiliated Fund, the transfer of securities from
such Affiliated Fund’s account to a NBIA-managed Separate Account or another Affiliated Fund
could be deemed a principal transaction.
A principal transaction presents conflicts of interest that include the adviser or affiliate earning a
fee or earning (or losing) money as a result of the transaction.
NBIA and its related persons do not generally engage in principal transactions with NBIA’s clients.
Subject to applicable rules and regulations, if NBIA were to engage in such affiliated principal
transactions, NBIA would disclose the transaction to the client and obtain the client’s consent in
accordance with Section 206-3 of the Advisers Act. With respect to Affiliated Funds, NBIA can
engage in such transactions as described in each fund’s Offering Documents. In such instances,
NBIA will comply with applicable law, as well as any requirements imposed by the Affiliated Funds
themselves. The conflicts of interest are disclosed in each Affiliated Fund’s Offering Documents.
An “agency cross transaction” is defined as a transaction where a person acts as an investment
adviser in relation to a transaction in which the investment adviser, or any person controlled by
or under common control with the investment adviser, acts as broker for both the advisory client
and for another person on the other side of the transaction. NBIA infrequently causes clients to
engage in agency cross transactions and would disclose the transaction to the client and obtain
the client’s consent in accordance with Section 206-3 of the Advisers Act.
2
Cross Transactions
.
Cross trades involve the transfer, sale or purchase of assets from one Client Account to another
Client Account without the use of a broker-dealer. NBIA will, at times, engage in cross trading
where permissible, if it determines that the cross trade and the conditions for the transaction
would be favorable to both Client Accounts and the terms of the transaction are fair to both Client
Accounts. The vast majority of trades made for Client Accounts will be executed through the open
market or with reference to an independently established market price. When executing cross
trades, neither NBIA nor its affiliates will receive transaction-based compensation from the trade.
In certain situations, specific consent for each such transaction is required from both parties to
the transaction. Where an Affiliated Registered Fund or a Third-Party Mutual Fund is involved,
the transaction will be executed in accordance with the provisions of Rule 17a-7 under the
Investment Company Act and any applicable policies and procedures approved by the Affiliated
Registered Fund’s or Third-Party Mutual Fund’s Board of Trustees/Directors/Managers.
153
3.
Affiliated Brokers
NBIA is affiliated with NBBD, a U.S. registered broker-dealer. Most NBIA advisory personnel are
registered representatives with FINRA through their affiliation with NBBD. As described in Item
5.E, certain NBIA strategies utilize internal centralized brokerage or advisory trading desks to
for certain Client Accounts. In the
execute transactions (including ETFs) with third-party brokers
event NBIA were to execute a transaction on behalf of its clients with NBBD as broker, NBIA would
generally only do so if it had received prior written authorization from the client and only in
accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, including ERISA, and Rule 17e-1 under the
Investment Company Act. Such transaction would only be executed if NBBD provided best
execution under the circumstances. See Item 12.A.
e.g.,
For the majority of Neuberger Wealth Accounts, NBBD will provide brokerage services. For those
Neuberger Wealth Accounts that have consented to the use of NBBD as broker, clients generally
will be charged an “all-inclusive” fee for brokerage and advisory services and will generally not be
charged a separate brokerage commission (see Item 5.A.1). When a client opens a Neuberger
Wealth Account, NBIA will seek the client's consent to effect brokerage transactions through
NBBD, consistent with the requirements of the federal securities laws and other applicable laws.
A client can grant or revoke this consent at any time. Clients will be advised that they are not
required to use NBBD as broker for their account. Even where NBIA is authorized to use NBBD as
broker to execute trades for a Neuberger Wealth Account, for certain transactions including
municipal security transactions, NBIA will route orders to third party brokers directly. Pursuant
to the terms of the GPS Program, clients in the GPS Program are required to use NBBD as broker
for their GPS Accounts. With respect to the Wealth Advisory Program, it is possible that where
Wealth Program Clients do not use NBBD as broker for their account the strategies in which their
Client Accounts can be invested will be limited (
the Client Accounts could be limited to
investing in proprietary strategies or restricted from investing in Third-Party Separate Accounts).
NBBD occasionally acts as broker for securities transactions for NBIA’s Institutional Accounts and
Private Funds.
NBBD receives sales commissions in connection with the sale of interests in certain Private Funds
and Affiliated Registered Funds. See Item 5.E. and Item 10.C.1.
4.
Financial Interests in Securities or Investment Products
From time to time, employees of NBIA and its related persons who are registered representatives
or associated persons of NBBD, a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, CTA and
Introducing Broker, recommend to certain NBIA’s clients that they buy or sell securities in which
NBIA or a related person has a financial interest. Such financial interest could include having a
business relationship (whether client, broker, vendor or investment consultant) or serving as
investment adviser, general partner, managing member or director for a particular investment
product. In both instances, it is possible that the purchase or sale of a security either directed by
NBIA or recommended by NBIA (including NBIA employees that are NBBD Brokers) will have an
impact on the price of such security, which could indirectly benefit (or act to the detriment of)
NBIA and its affiliates.
154
NBIA and its Affiliated Advisers act in various capacities with respect to Affiliated Funds from
which they receive advisory, administrative, distribution or other fees. When appropriate and in
accordance with applicable law, including with respect to clients in the GPS Program and the
Wealth Advisory Program, NBIA allocates client assets to Affiliated Funds. Employees of NBIA
and its related persons who are registered representatives or associated persons of NBBD also,
from time to time, recommend an investment in an Affiliated Fund. NBIA has a conflict of interest
to the extent that they recommend, or invest Client Accounts in, Affiliated Funds (rather than in
Non-Affiliated Funds) where NBIA wishes to seed or otherwise increase the assets under
management of any particular Affiliated Fund. In addition, NBIA has a conflict of interest in
recommending or investing Client Accounts in Affiliated Funds (rather than in non-Affiliated
Funds) as doing so increases the advisory and administrative fees received by NBIA and its
affiliates (unless waived), and the distribution fees, placement fees or other fees received by
certain affiliates of NBIA for distributing Affiliated Funds.
See Item 5.C, Item 10.C.1, Item 10.C.2 and Item 11.D.7.
NBIA’s policies and procedures together with its investment process seek to ensure that all
accounts are managed in accordance with their investment objectives and guidelines and in
accordance with NBIA’s fiduciary obligations. Specifically, NBIA has policies and procedures in
place reasonably designed to assure that NBIA and its employees and agents do not make
recommendations or provide advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to Plan Clients (including
those that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program) that would be inconsistent with its
fiduciary duties under ERISA and otherwise, as applicable.
5.
Employee Investment in NBIA Products
Employees of NBIA or its affiliates, and their family members, are investors in Private Funds,
Affiliated Registered Funds, Non-U.S. Registered Funds or Third-Party Registered Funds managed
by NBIA or an affiliate. Any such investments are made in conformity with the Conflicts
Procedures (see Item 12.B) that include procedures governing the use of confidential information
and personal investing. Employees of NBIA or its affiliates, and their family members, also invest
in Separate Accounts. The Firm maintains a policy that prohibits “insider accounts” that do not
pay investment advisory fees from receiving a more favorable execution price than that received
on the same day by Client Accounts. The Firm generally reduces or waives investment advisory
fees and performance fees/incentive allocations/carried interest for employees. See also Item
11.C.
6.
Buying and Selling Securities That Are Recommended to Clients
NBIA will recommend to certain clients investments in which NBIA, its affiliates or their
respective employees are also invested. See Item 11.B.5.
NBIA also will recommend securities to certain clients in which a related person has established
an interest independent of NBIA. Moreover, NBIA will, from time to time, purchase and sell
securities for Client Accounts that the Firm, its affiliates or their respective employees have
seeded. From time to time, NBIA or one or more of its affiliates will invest seed capital in a Client
Account and may, from time to time, own or control a significant percentage of the Client Account’s
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interests. NBIA or its affiliate may redeem or withdraw all or a portion of its interest in the Client
Account in accordance with its Seed Capital Policy, including where it is required to redeem or
withdraw all or a portion of its interest in order to comply with applicable regulatory
restrictions. Redemptions or withdrawals therefrom may force the Client Account to sell
securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions in order to meet
redemption or withdrawal requests. These sales may adversely affect a Client Account’s net asset
value and may result in increasing the Client Account’s liquidity risk, transaction costs and/or
taxable distributions.
NBIA provides investment advisory services to various clients that can differ from the advice
given, or the timing and nature or action taken, with respect to any one account. It is possible that
NBIA, its affiliates and their respective employees (to the extent not prohibited by the Code of
Ethics), and clients of NBIA or its affiliates will hold, acquire, increase, decrease, or dispose of
securities or interests (including interests in Affiliated Funds) at or about the same time that NBIA
is purchasing or selling securities or interests (including interests in Affiliated Funds) for a Client
Account that are, or are deemed to be, inconsistent with the actions taken by such persons.
All such investments are made in conformity with the Conflicts Procedures and NBIA’s
Aggregation and Allocation Procedures (see Item 12.B).
7.
Securities Trades during an Underwriting Syndicate
NBIA and its Affiliated Advisers do not participate as members of underwriting syndicates. From
time to time, the Affiliated Registered Funds will purchase securities from an underwriting
syndicate in which an affiliate of a Third-Party Registered Fund is a participating member. The
Affiliated Registered Funds have adopted procedures under Rule 10f-3 of the Investment
Company Act governing such transactions. In addition, the Third-Party Registered Funds can
purchase securities from an underwriting syndicate from which an affiliate of the Third-Party
Registered Fund is a participating member and NBIA would seek to work with the Third-Party
Registered Fund’s adviser to ensure that all such purchases are in accordance with applicable
rules and regulations.
8.
Other Interests in Client Transactions
NBIA employees and officers are also officers, employees or registered representatives of NBBD
and certain Affiliated Advisers. In such capacity, they sell or provide similar services as the
services offered by NBIA. From time to time, the views and opinions of NBIA, NBBD or any of the
Affiliated Advisers and their research departments differ from one another. As a result, it is
possible that Client Accounts hold securities or other investment products for which each of NBIA,
NBBD and the Affiliated Advisers have a different investment opinion or outlook at the time of
their acquisition or subsequent thereto.
C. Personal Trading
NBIA, or one or more of its affiliates, including employees, from time to time, invest for their own
accounts directly or through an Affiliated Fund or a non-Affiliated Fund in equity, fixed income,
156
derivatives or other investments in which NBIA also invests on behalf of certain Client Accounts.
Moreover, it is possible NBIA and its affiliates and their respective employees will buy, sell or hold
securities while entering into different investment decisions for one or more Client Accounts.
Many of the conflicts that exist with respect to the investment by NBIA and its affiliates and their
respective employees in investments in which NBIA also invests on behalf of certain Client
Accounts are similar to those that exist with respect to side-by-side management of Client
Accounts. See also Item 10.C.3, Item 11.D.6 and Item 12.B. All investments by NBIA and its
affiliates and their respective employees are made in accordance with the Firm’s policies.
From time to time, NBIA and its affiliates and their respective employees participate directly or
indirectly in Private Fund investments to the extent permitted by the terms of the applicable
Private Fund’s governing documents. Such participation in each investment will be on
substantially the same terms and conditions as provided for in the Offering Documents of the
Private Funds. The sale or disposition by NBIA, its affiliates or their respective employees must
also be consummated in accordance with internal policies and applicable law.
It is the Firm’s policy to monitor and, in some cases, prohibit personal securities transactions for
NBIA, its affiliates and their respective employees. The Conflicts Procedures contain employee
trading policies and procedures that are closely monitored by the Legal and Compliance
Department. Key aspects of the employee trading policies and procedures include:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
a requirement for securities accounts to be maintained at NBBD or other approved entities;
an employee price restitution policy;
prohibitions against employee participation in certain IPOs;
prohibitions against trading on the basis of material non-public information;
pre-approval requirements for transactions in securities, digital assets, and private
placement offerings;
a minimum holding period of 60 days for most personal securities transactions; and
annually affirming in writing that (i) all reportable transactions occurring during the year
were reported to the Firm; (ii) all reportable positions were disclosed; (iii) all newly
opened securities accounts or private placements were disclosed; and (iv) the employee
has read, understood and complied with the Code of Ethics.
The price restitution policy attempts to address the conflict that could arise from employees
owning the same securities as clients, or where the accounts of both enter the market at the same
time. Subject to certain exclusions, including certain accounts that are custodied and traded by
third parties as part of programs sponsored by financial intermediaries, employee trades that are
executed on the same day and in the same security as a Client Account are reviewed to ensure that
the employee does not receive a better price than the client. In the event that the employee does
receive a better price, subject to a de minimis threshold, the employee’s price is “switched” to that
of the client’s and the cash difference in the execution price is disgorged from the employee
account. Disgorged proceeds are often allocated to Client Accounts in the form of revised
execution prices. In some instances, however, a revised execution price will, for operational
reasons beyond NBIA’s control, not be feasible and the proceeds will either be remitted to Client
Accounts or donated to charity.
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As stated in the Conflicts Procedures, it is the policy of Neuberger for its SEC-registered advisers
to prohibit insiders, that is, the employees of such advisers and certain of their close relatives,
from effecting transactions in anticipation of transactions in such securities by Client Accounts.
D. Other Conflicts of Interest
1.
Information Barrier Procedures/Material Non-Public Information/Insider Trading
MNPI
The Firm has implemented policies and procedures, including certain information barriers (both
Procedures
physical and technological, as well as employee conduct measures) within the Firm (the “
material non-public information
”), that are reasonably designed to prevent the misuse by the Firm and its personnel
of material information regarding issuers of securities that has not been publicly disseminated
(“
”). The MNPI Procedures are designed to be in accordance
with the requirements of the Advisers Act and other federal securities laws. In general, under the
MNPI Procedures and applicable law, when the Firm is in possession of material non-public
information related to a publicly-traded security or the issuer of such security, whether acquired
unintentionally or otherwise, neither the Firm nor its personnel are permitted to render
investment advice as to, or otherwise trade or recommend a trade in, the securities of such issuer
until such time as the information that the Firm has is no longer deemed to be material or non-
public.
Information Barrier Procedures
The MNPI Procedures include the creation of an Information Barrier between the “public” side –
which includes the Firm and certain affiliates –and “private” side - including NB Alternatives
Advisers LLC - of NBG to control the flow of investment-related communications between certain
employees on each side of the Information Barrier (“
”). The
Information Barrier Procedures are reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material non-
public information by the Firm and its personnel and allow the Firm to disaggregate positions
between the “public” and “private” sides of the Firm for purposes of Sections 13 and Section 16 of
the Exchange Act. The Information Barrier Procedures also prohibit the sharing of material non-
public information to personnel on the other side of the Information Barrier without approval
from the Legal and Compliance Department, which will determine appropriate steps to comply
with applicable laws and regulations, and prohibits investment-related discussions between the
public side and private side regarding any company with U.S. listed public equity.
In the ordinary course of operations, from time to time, certain businesses within the Firm will
seek access to material non-public information. The MNPI Procedures address the process by
which material non-public information could be acquired intentionally by the Firm and shared
between different businesses within the Firm or with certain clients of the Firm. When
considering whether to acquire or share material non-public information, the Firm will attempt
to balance the interests of all clients, taking into consideration relevant factors, including the
extent of the prohibition on trading that would occur, the size of the Firm’s existing position in the
issuer, if any, and the value of the information as it relates to the investment decision-making
process. The intentional acquisition of material non-public information would likely give rise to
a conflict of interest since NBIA would generally be prohibited from rendering investment advice
to clients regarding the public securities of such issuer and thereby potentially limiting the
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universe of public securities for NBIA’s purchase or potentially limiting the ability of NBIA to sell
such securities. Relatedly, in those cases when the Firm declines access to (or otherwise does not
receive or share within the Firm) material non-public information regarding an issuer, NBIA could
potentially base its investment decisions with respect to assets of that issuer solely on public
information, thereby limiting the amount of information available to NBIA in connection with such
investment decisions. Additionally, when the Firm declines to receive or share material non-
public information, clients could miss the opportunity to make certain investments, such as SPAC
PIPEs, that require potential investors to be “brought over the wall” and accept material non-
public information prior to making the investment. Similarly, the Firm’s Information Barrier
Procedures could limit the Firm’s access to information obtained by the “private side” of NBG and
utilizing the expertise of “private side” employees. In determining whether or not to elect to
receive material non-public information, the Firm will endeavor to act fairly to its clients as a
whole. The Firm reserves the right to decline access to material non-public information, even if
such information relates to a position held in Client Accounts.
From time to time, NBIA portfolio managers will be offered the opportunity on behalf of applicable
clients to participate on a creditors or other similar committee in connection with, or otherwise
engage in, amendment, restructuring, or other “work-out” activity (collectively, “Work-Out
Activity”), which participation could provide access to material non-public information. The MNPI
Procedures include procedures to address joining and participating in creditors or other similar
committees. The Firm reserves the right to decline access to material non-public information in
connection with joining or participating in a creditors or other similar committee, which may limit
the amount of information available to NBIA in connection with an investment decision relating
to Work-Out Activity or NBIA’s ability to participate in certain transactions on behalf of Client
Accounts with respect to Work-Out Activity.
2.
Gifts and Entertainment
Generally, Firm employees, wherever located, are prohibited from providing business gifts or
G&E
entertainment that are excessive or inappropriate or intended to inappropriately influence
Policy
recipients in accordance with the Firm’s Gifts & Entertainment Policies and Procedures (the “
”).
Subject to applicable law and the G&E Policy, the Firm allows personnel to provide limited
business gifts and entertainment to personnel/representatives of clients or prospective clients as
detailed in the Firm’s policies and procedures. However, the Firm prohibits providing business
gifts or entertainment that are excessive or inappropriate or intended to cause such
personnel/representatives to act against the best interests of their employer, the client they
represent or those to whom they owe a fiduciary duty.
In addition to the above prohibitions, the Firm imposes additional restrictions on providing gifts
and entertainment to particular types of clients or client representatives, such as public officials
at all levels and representatives of U.S. Labor Organizations. The Firm’s Global Anti-Corruption
Policy and Procedures also sets forth rules governing certain gifts and entertainment and imposes
pre-approval or reporting requirements. Furthermore, many public, as well as private,
institutions have their own internal rules regarding the acceptance of gifts or entertainment by
159
their personnel and other representatives. Neuberger personnel are reminded to be aware that
many of the institutions with whom they deal have certain additional restrictions.
In addition to these requirements, which apply to all Firm personnel, different regions have
regulatory rules and requirements relating to business gifts and entertainment specific to their
region. While the G&E Policy is the global Firm policy, Firm subsidiaries in each region can adopt
changes that further limit the amounts and activities permitted by the G&E Policy in order to
comply with the specific applicable requirements.
Accepting gifts or entertainment from clients, prospective clients, employees or agents of clients,
outside vendors, suppliers, consultants, and other persons or entities with whom the Firm does
business also creates actual or apparent conflicts of interest. Subject to applicable law and the
G&E Policy, the Firm does not prohibit personnel from accepting all business-related gifts or
entertainment. However, none of Firm personnel, immediate family members, nor other
household members are permitted to accept any gift or entertainment that is excessive in value
or impairs, or appears to impair, employee ethics, loyalty to the Firm, or ability to exercise sound
judgment. Furthermore, Firm personnel are prohibited from accepting gifts or entertainment that
is, or could be perceived as being, compensation from someone other than the Firm. Firm
personnel are also prohibited from soliciting gifts or entertainment, and giving any gifts or
entertainment to anyone who solicits them.
3.
Political Contributions
Due to the potential for conflicts of interest, the Firm has established policies and procedures
relating to political activities that are designed to comply with applicable federal, state and local
law. Each employee who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder is required to obtain preapproval
for all political contributions and other political activities, including political contributions and
other political activities of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, dependent children, or any
other person that the employee materially supports.
4.
Outside Business Activities
Certain types of outside affiliations or other activities pose a conflict of interest or regulatory
concern to the Firm. Therefore, the Firm prohibits certain activities, and requires employees to
disclose outside activities and affiliations to the Firm in writing so that responsible personnel are
able to assess the compatibility of the outside affiliation or activity with their role at the Firm.
“Outside affiliations” include relationships in which Neuberger personnel serve as an employee,
director, officer, partner or trustee of a public or private organization or company other than the
Firm (paid or unpaid), including joint ventures, portfolio investment companies, or non-profit,
charitable, civic or educational organizations. In some cases, those relationships are related to
employment with the Firm. Employees registered in the U.S. could also have to update their
regulatory filings to reflect outside affiliations. Generally, Firm employees do not have to disclose
affiliations that involve little or no personal responsibility or exposure on their part and have
minimal potential for adversely affecting the Firm’s image or creating conflicts of interest. Firm
personnel are not required to disclose affiliations of family members unless they are aware that
160
an immediate family member’s affiliation with a company or organization could result in a conflict
of interest between the employee and the Firm or the employee and a client of the Firm.
Firm personnel are generally prohibited from being employed by another company or from
engaging in other activities that could interfere or conflict with their service at the Firm. Firm
personnel are prohibited from being employed by, or serving on a board or in an advisory position
with, any public company or with other firms in the financial services industry. Furthermore,
Firm personnel are prohibited from entering into independent non-Firm related business
relationships with clients, vendors, or co-workers. Exceptions to these prohibitions, which
include serving in a board or advisory position as a fiduciary to certain Client Accounts, such as a
Private Fund, will only be made in writing on a case-by-case basis by the Legal and Compliance
Department.
Certain Firm personnel serve, under certain limited circumstances, as an executor, trustee,
guardian or conservator, with prior approval from the Legal and Compliance Department,
irrespective of whether such service is personal in nature. Brokerage accounts under control of
the employee as a result of their service as an executor, trustee, guardian or conservator must be
disclosed in accordance with the Firm’s Code of Ethics, even if the relationship is personal. The
Firm generally permits employees to engage in philanthropic, charitable or other similar pursuits,
subject to certain limitations and with prior approval from the Legal and Compliance Department.
5.
Outsourcing/Service Providers
Third-Party Vendors
The Firm conducts appropriate due diligence on outsourced service providers and vendors
(“
”) that provide products or services to the Firm and enters into an
appropriate contract. When hiring Third-Party Vendors, NBIA has an incentive to choose vendors
e.g.,
at the lowest possible cost to NBIA or Third-Party Vendors that provide other financial incentives
potentially referring clients to NBIA or its affiliates). The Firm’s relationships with Third-
(
Party Vendors are managed so that appropriate controls and oversight are in place to protect the
Firm’s interests, including safeguarding of private and confidential information regarding the
Firm’s clients and employees.
From time to time, NBIA and its affiliate will introduce Neuberger Wealth Account clients to one
or more private banks with which it has a partnership that can provide lending solutions to the
client. None of NBIA nor its affiliates recommend or endorse any of those private banks or the
services they provide. None of NBIA nor its affiliates receive direct compensation in connection
with any such lending services, but it is possible that they will receive other benefits. It is possible
that other providers would be able to provide clients with better lending terms or better services.
From time to time, certain NBIA affiliates provide additional services to NBIA’s clients for which
they do not receive additional compensation. Those services and any related discussions are
generally intended solely for educational and discussion purposes, do not constitute investment
advice, are not part of any investment advisory or fiduciary services offered by NBIA or its
affiliates, and are not intended to serve as a primary basis for any decision or as a recommendation
with respect to any investment, financial, insurance, trust and estate or tax planning
determination. NBIA and its affiliates have an incentive to provide additional services to clients
161
in order to maintain and build relationships with their clients. It is possible that non-affiliate
providers would be able to provide clients with better services.
6.
Side-by-Side Management of Different Types of Accounts
NBIA and its employees have differing investment or pecuniary interests in different Client
Accounts, and NBIA employees have differing compensatory interests with respect to different
Client Accounts. Similarly, NBIA employees who are dual employees with an Affiliated Adviser
could have different interests with respect to accounts managed for NBIA and Affiliate Accounts.
e.g.,
e.g.,
NBIA and its employees face a conflict of interest when (i) the actions taken on behalf of one Client
Account (or Affiliate Account) impact other similar or different Client Accounts (or Affiliate
Accounts) (
where Client Accounts have the same or similar investment strategies or
otherwise compete for investment opportunities, have potentially conflicting investment
strategies or investments (including where the negotiation of a purchase of securities from an
issuer for some Client Accounts negatively impact other securities issued by the same issuer held
in other Client Accounts, or the holdings of some Client Accounts cause NBIA to refrain from
recommending or making certain investments or to be limited by law, courts or otherwise in the
actions it can recommend or take on behalf of other Client Accounts), or have differing ability to
engage in short sales and economically similar transactions) or (ii) NBIA and its employees (and
e.g.,
the Affiliated Advisers and their employees) have differing interests in certain Client Accounts
(
where NBIA or its related persons are exposed to different potential for gain or loss through
differential ownership interests or compensation structures or where NBIA or its employees have
determine where to dedicate their time and resources) because NBIA and its related persons have
an incentive to favor certain accounts over others (
NBIA and its related persons could favor
more profitable accounts, accounts of larger clients, or accounts of clients from whom they are
seeking additional business). For a limited number of Private Funds, a portion of the management
fee and/or the Performance Fee will be paid to one or more anchor investors. As a result, NBIA
and the GP Entity, as applicable, may not have the same alignment of interests with the investors
of those Private Fund as they would have in the absence of the revenue share.
Such conflicts present particular concern when, for example, NBIA places, or allocates, securities
transactions that NBIA believes could more likely result in favorable performance, engages in
cross trades or executes potentially conflicting or competing investments.
e.g.,
From time to time, NBIA, on behalf of different Client Accounts, will make investments in different
parts of an issuer’s capital structure (
equity or debt, or different positions in the debt
structure), including situations where a single portfolio manager invests in different parts of an
issuer’s capital structure for its Client Accounts. As a result, or as part of the negotiations of certain
terms prior to the purchase of a security, NBIA could pursue rights or privileges with respect to
an issuer that has, or could have, an adverse effect on some of its Clients Accounts. Conflicts arise
over items such as whether to make an investment, exercise certain rights, or take an action, proxy
voting, corporate reorganization, how to exit an investment, or bankruptcy or similar matters
(including, for example, whether to trigger an event of default or the terms of any workout).
Similarly, if an issuer in which one or more Client Accounts hold different classes of securities (or
other assets, instruments or obligations issued by the same issuer) encounters financial problems,
162
e.g.,
decisions over the terms of any workout will raise conflicts of interest (
conflicts over
proposed waivers and amendments to debt covenants or strategies to be pursued in bankruptcy
proceedings). For example, it is possible a debt holder would be better served by a liquidation of
the issuer in which it would be paid in full, whereas an equity or junior bond holder might prefer
a reorganization that holds the potential to create value for them. In some cases, NBIA will (i)
refrain from taking certain actions or making certain investments, or sell investments on behalf
of clients in order to avoid or mitigate certain conflicts of interest, or (ii) be limited (by applicable
law, courts or otherwise) in positions or actions it will be permitted to take, which, in each case,
could have the potential to disadvantage the clients on whose behalf the actions are not taken,
investments not made, or investments sold. In other cases, NBIA will not refrain from taking
actions or making investments on behalf of certain Clients that have the potential to disadvantage
other Clients. Moreover, if Client Accounts are invested in different levels of an issuer’s capital
structure, it is possible that NBIA will acquire material nonpublic information, including where it
has representatives on the issuer’s board of directors or the creditors’ committee - see Item
11.D.1). To mitigate these conflicts, NBIA’s policies and procedures seek to ensure that
investment decisions are made in accordance with the fiduciary duties owed to Client Accounts
and that NBIA and its advisory personnel do not place their own interests ahead of the interests
of its client.
i.e.,
In addition, certain side-by-side managed accounts or portfolios could create additional conflicts.
For example, from time to time, NBIA, on behalf of different Client Accounts (or Affiliate Accounts),
could acquire both long and short positions in securities of an issuer (
“long/short” strategies).
A short sale involves the sale of a security that the acquirer does not own in the expectation of
purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefore) at a later date at a lower
price. To make delivery to the buyer, the acquirer must borrow the security, and the acquirer is
obligated to return the security to the lender, which is accomplished by a later purchase of the
security by the acquirer. In contrast to taking a long position in a security, when a manager sells
a security short, he/she is typically doing so with the expectation that the security will decline in
value. Depending on a number of conditions, including the security’s liquidity and general
economic conditions, shorting a security also generally has the added consequence of adversely
impacting its market price. As a result, managers who manage long/short products have conflicts
of interest where they short a security in which they are also long for another client or in another
product. NBIA has adopted policies and procedures that would permit such transactions only,
under certain limited circumstances. For example, where sufficient liquidity exists in the market
and where certain clients’ positions in a particular security have yet to achieve long-term tax
treatment, but the manager is otherwise pre-disposed to shorting that security, the manager
would likely be permitted to engage in such transaction.
The views and opinions of NBIA, its portfolio managers and other employees and those of its
affiliates and research departments will, from time to time, differ from one another, as well as
from their respective Chief Investment Officers, the Firm’s Asset Allocation Committee, Multi-
Asset Strategy team and the Wealth Investment Group. As a result, products managed by NBIA or
its affiliates often hold securities or pursue strategies that reflect differing investment opinions or
outlooks at the time of their acquisition or subsequent thereto.
163
From time to time, subject to legal, tax, regulatory and other considerations and NBIA’s internal
policies, NBIA permits certain Private Fund limited partners or third parties to participate, on a
preferred basis, in investment opportunities alongside certain Client Accounts. In this situation,
investments will generally be allocated among the Client Account and the co-investors by NBIA in
its sole discretion, taking into account such factors as the available capital, applicable
diversification criteria, investment objectives, expected investment pipeline, whether the
investment represents a follow-on investment for one of the entities, and legal, tax and regulatory
considerations. Accordingly, the allocation of an investment to a Client Account or Private Fund
limited partner may vary between the identification of an investment opportunity and the
consummation of such investment opportunity. Where a Client Account or a Private Fund limited
partner co-invests alongside one or more co-investors, NBIA expects that investment-related
expenses generally will be allocated between the Client Account, the Private Fund limited partners
and such other co-investors, as applicable, pro rata based on the capital committed to such
investment. The allocation of broken deal expenses incurred in respect of unconsummated
investments, however, generally will not be pro rata and rather, borne by a Client Account, and
not by other anticipated co-investors, unless such other co-investors had committed to invest in
such investment.
See Item 12.B regarding trade allocation and aggregation policies.
7.
Conflicts of Interest Relating to Employee Compensation Arrangements
Some employees of NBIA receive a portion of the fees or other compensation received by NBIA or
its affiliates. In addition, most NBIA employees are registered representatives with FINRA
through their affiliation with NBBD, and when in their role as NBBD Brokers, serve as relationship
managers for clients of NBIA and also receive a portion of the fees or other compensation received
by NBIA and its affiliates. See Item 5.E. for a discussion of compensation to Neuberger
Salespersons and certain conflicts with respect thereto. Compensation methodology varies and
is based upon a variety of factors, including gross or net revenue, asset or sub-asset class, and the
specific investment product or investment vehicle.
e.g.,
e.g.,
i.e.,
Given that compensation varies, an employee has an incentive to promote, recommend or allocate
assets based on the compensation to be received. For example, NBIA and its employees (including
NBBD Brokers) would financially benefit if a Client Account is allocated in a way that results in
either NBIA or the employee receiving more compensation from investing in one product or
strategy than from investing in other products or strategies. Strategies that involve comparatively
portfolio composition or risk management) or that make use of
higher levels of complexity (
more complicated financial instruments and financing techniques (
hedging foreign currency
exposure or interest rate volatility) will generally result in higher fees to NBIA, and to those NBIA
employees who promote, recommend, allocate or manage those strategies. The expenses, fees and
other charges vary among asset classes or among sectors or sub-categories within an asset class.
For example, the expenses, fees and other charges for equity products and services are generally
higher in comparison to fixed income products and services, and the expenses, fees and other
charges for emerging markets equities products and services are generally higher in comparison
to U.S. core equity products and services. In addition, certain strategies are managed in a
Separate Accounts,
substantially similar manner across multiple investment vehicles (
164
Registered Fund, and Private Fund) and certain vehicles have higher expenses, fees and other
charges. For example, Private Funds often have higher expenses, fees and other charges than other
vehicles such as Separate Accounts or Registered Funds. Certain Private Funds also charge other
fees, including Performance Fees, which allow NBIA (and its affiliate) and, in certain cases, selected
personnel, an opportunity to share in the Performance Fee. In addition, where permitted by law,
a Private Fund can also invest in Affiliated Portfolio Investments and Unaffiliated Portfolio
Investments that utilize the services of NBIA, its affiliates or their respective employees for a fee
or other compensation.
Certain options strategies are implemented on an “overlay” basis where the assets serving as
collateral for the option strategies are held outside of the Client Account in which the options
strategies are implemented. To the extent the collateral assets for such overlay strategies are
invested in other investment products and strategies of NBIA, the use of overlay strategies will
involve incremental fees to NBIA and its employees. Accordingly, for all of the forgoing reasons,
differences in the strategies and vehicles that are included in Client Accounts will likely result in
differences and potentially higher or incremental fees to NBIA or its employees.
Specifically, with respect to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, NBIA advisory personnel are
compensated, directly or through compensation pools, based, in large part, on the revenues
generated by NBIA and its affiliates with respect to the clients they cover. As such, NBIA advisory
personnel have an incentive to take certain actions based on the compensation to be received.
e.g.,
For example, as discussed in Item 5.E, NBIA and NBIA advisory personnel generally have an
incentive to invest Client Accounts in (or allocated Client Accounts to) Affiliated Portfolio
Investments over Unaffiliated Portfolio Investments. Similarly, in certain instances, NBIA and
NBIA advisory personnel have the ability to invest Client Accounts invest Client Accounts in (or
allocated Client Accounts to) various strategies and products with differing fees. In those cases,
NBIA and NBIA advisory personnel have an incentive to invest in (or allocate to) assets, strategies
and products that generate more revenue for NBIA and its affiliates, including strategies and
products that have higher fees are subject to higher fees (
in most cases, equity and equity
strategies over fixed income and fixed income strategies, Separate Accounts over Affiliated
Registered Funds, etc.), overlay strategies (where permitted) and proprietary strategies (and for
NBIA advisory personnel that are on portfolio management teams, strategies managed by its own
portfolio management team or strategies managed by other portfolio management teams where
there is an agreement or belief that portfolio management team will allocate client assets back to
the NBIA’s advisory personnel’s portfolio management team). While NBIA and its advisory
personnel endeavor at all times to put the interest of NBIA’s advisory clients first as part of NBIA’s
fiduciary duty, clients should be aware that conflicts of interest exist.
Specifically with respect to Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program, where
the NBIA advisory personnel is also on a portfolio management team, the NBIA advisory personnel
will be compensated based on a target allocation to the NBIA advisory personnel’s own portfolio
management team regardless of the actual assets allocated to its own portfolio management team.
As a result, the NBIA advisory personnel has an incentive to allocate Plan Client assets to strategies
other than the NBIA advisory personnel’s own portfolio management team as the NBIA advisory
personnel would receive the same compensation without having to spend the resources or effort
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of managing the assets. With respect to Non-Plan Clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory
Program, certain NBIA advisory personnel that are on portfolio management teams will receive
additional compensation if the NBIA advisory personnel meets certain “diversification thresholds”
by allocating assets away from its own portfolio management team. Where that is the case, the
NBIA advisory personnel has an incentive to take actions to meet those thresholds.
CSG
To mitigate those conflicts, NBIA has policies and procedures in place and trains its employees to
provide advice that is suitable and appropriate for clients and to act in the clients’ best interest
without placing its own interests or the interests of NBIA ahead of the interests of its client. For
”) compares the
Neuberger Wealth Account clients, the Firm’s Central Supervision Group (“
type of assets in the clients’ accounts against the investment objective provided by the client and
reviews any possible discrepancies with the relevant NBIA investment professional. Additionally,
members of CSG conduct periodic supervision reviews for portfolio managers to Neuberger
Wealth Accounts. During those reviews, the portfolio management team’s holdings, performance
and account activity are reviewed across their accounts. NBIA’s policies and procedures are
reinforced in the Firm’s annual training, which covers relevant topics including know-your-
customer and other regulatory requirements.
Please see Item 5.E and for a further discussion regarding Sales Compensation practices.
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Brokerage Practices
Item 12:
A. Criteria for Selection of Broker-Dealers
In General—Brokerage Selection
As described in Item 5.E, certain NBIA strategies utilize internal centralized brokerage or advisory
trading desks to execute transactions with third-party brokers
for certain Client Accounts.
Accordingly, where appropriate, references to NBIA in connection with trade execution in this
Item 12 include the affiliates of NBIA that support the centralized trading desk. See Item 11.B.3.
See also Item 4.D with respect to Wrap Program accounts, Unbundled Program accounts, and Dual
Contract Program accounts.
NBIA is affiliated with NBBD, a U.S. registered broker-dealer. Most NBIA advisory personnel are
registered representatives with FINRA through their affiliation with NBBD. NBBD and NBBD’s
associated persons, in their separate capacities as registered representatives, make allocation and
other recommendations to clients and effect securities transactions for clients for which they will
receive separate and customary compensation. Certain employees with responsibilities for a
Client Account receive a portion of the commissions paid to NBBD by the Client Account. While
NBIA and its advisory personnel endeavor at all times to put the interest of NBIA’s advisory clients
first as part of NBIA’s fiduciary duty, clients should be aware that a conflict of interest exists.
With respect to those Client Accounts for which NBIA has discretion to select the broker-dealer,
NBIA looks to the overall quality of service provided by the broker and will consider many factors
when making a selection for execution. It is NBIA’s policy to seek the best execution of client trades
considering all the relevant circumstances. When selecting third-party executing brokers, traders
will consider the price, size of the transaction, liquidity of both the security and the market, the
broker’s ability to provide or find liquidity, time limitations, or confidentiality of the transaction.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits”
In addition, NBIA can consider research and other services in making brokerage decisions (See
in this Item 12.A). Payment of additional commissions
“
for research is generally limited to trades involving equities and ETFs. Accordingly, Clients could
be able to obtain more favorable brokerage commission rates elsewhere. NBIA will also utilize
electronic trading networks when they can provide liquidity and price improvement over and
above what is available through traditional methods for execution.
Prime Broker
NBIA has selected one or more firms to serve as prime broker (“
”) to hold the
funds and securities of certain Private Funds, and certain Separate Accounts will establish a
prime-brokerage relationship. The Prime Broker also executes transactions on behalf of certain
Private Funds and Separate Accounts, consistent with the principles of best execution. Specific
trades are “traded away,” where trades are executed through brokers other than the Prime
Broker in order to gain access to greater inventory or better price or execution. NBIA has
selected Prime Brokers it believes will provide specific services beneficial to a Private Fund,
allowing the Private Fund to operate more effectively and efficiently by, for example, providing
NBIA with electronic access to account information and trade confirmations and bulk mailing of
statements to investors.
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Clients who elect to trade on margin will enter into a separate agreement directly with the clearing
agent. Clients should refer to the agreement with their clearing agent for all terms and conditions
of the margin arrangement, including all related fees and expenses.
NBIA may invest in private placements on behalf of some Client Accounts. These purchases are
typically made directly from the issuer, without broker involvement. As NBIA generally views
private placements as “buy and maintain” investments, secondary trading is less common. Were
NBIA to engage in such a transaction, it would use its best efforts to secure best execution.
See Item 12.B for information on trade allocation procedures.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
Soft dollars refers to the practice of using a portion of the commissions generated when executing
client transactions to acquire research and brokerage services from broker-dealers. In general,
NBIA’s soft dollar activity relates to its equity trading; NBIA does not generally direct soft dollar
Use of Soft Dollars:
credits for fixed income transactions to individual brokers or dealers on behalf of its clients.
“soft dollar benefits”
Where applicable, NBIA considers research and other services as a factor in
making brokerage decisions and, as it deems appropriate, uses a portion of the commissions
generated when executing client transactions (commonly referred to as “soft dollars”) to acquire
research and brokerage services (
) in a manner consistent with the “safe
harbor” provided by Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Under the safe harbor, as it has been
interpreted by the SEC, NBIA is permitted to use soft dollars to pay for soft dollar benefits, even
where such benefits are also available for cash, to the extent appropriate and permitted by law
and other global jurisdictional requirements, when such benefits assist NBIA in meeting clients’
investment objectives or in managing Client Accounts.
The use of soft dollars to receive research and services benefits NBIA by allowing NBIA, at no cost
to it, to (i) supplement and enhance its own research and analysis activities, (ii) receive the views
and information of individuals and research staff of other securities firms, and (iii) gain access to
persons having special expertise on certain companies, industries, areas of the economy and
market factors. Subject to NBIA’s policies and procedures, NBIA takes into account the value of
permissible soft dollar benefits provided by a broker-dealer, as long as such consideration is not
inconsistent with the objective of seeking best execution for client transactions. From time to time,
clients will pay a higher commission rate than the rate that would be charged solely for execution
to a broker-dealer in recognition of such soft dollar benefits.
When appropriate under its discretionary authority and consistent with the duty to seek best
execution, NBIA can select broker-dealers who provide NBIA with useful soft dollar benefits and
pay to those broker-dealers an amount or rate of commission that is higher than might have been
paid absent the receipt of soft dollar benefits. NBIA selects broker-dealers based on its assessment
of each broker-dealer’s ability to provide quality executions and its belief that the research,
information and other services provided by such broker-dealer could benefit Client Accounts.
Often, it is not possible to place a dollar value on the quality of executions or on the soft dollar
benefits NBIA receives from broker-dealers effecting transactions in portfolio securities.
168
Accordingly, broker-dealers selected by NBIA could be paid commissions for effecting portfolio
transactions for Client Accounts in excess of amounts other broker-dealers would have charged
for effecting similar transactions, if NBIA determines in good faith that such amounts are
reasonable in relation to the value of the soft dollar benefits provided by those broker-dealers,
viewed either in terms of a particular transaction or NBIA’s overall duty to discretionary accounts.
From time to time, NBIA uses “step outs” or “commission sharing arrangements” to obtain soft
dollar benefits. A step out occurs when NBIA directs a broker-dealer, who executes a trade, to
allocate (or “step out”) a portion of the trade to another broker-dealer for clearance and
settlement. NBIA primarily uses step outs for block trades and believes that this practice assists
in seeking best execution.
In commission sharing arrangements, NBIA effects transactions, subject to best execution, through
a broker and requests that the broker allocate a portion of the commission or commission credits
to a segregated “research pool” maintained by the broker. NBIA then directs such broker to pay
for eligible products and services. Participating in commission sharing arrangements enable NBIA
to (1) strengthen its key brokerage relationships; (2) consolidate payments for eligible products
and services; and (3) continue to receive a variety of high quality eligible products and services
while facilitating best execution in the trading process.
NBIA also can, in its discretion, elect to pay cash for soft dollar items.
Allocation of Soft Dollar Research
: Research obtained with soft dollars will not always be utilized
by NBIA for the specific Client Account or Client Accounts that generated the soft dollars. It should
be noted that the value of many soft dollar benefits cannot be measured precisely, and
commissions paid for such services cannot always be allocated to Client Accounts in direct
proportion to the value of the services to each Client Account. Because, as discussed in Item 12.B,
NBIA will aggregate or “bunch” certain client transactions, brokerage commissions attributable to
one or more Client Accounts could be allocated to brokers who provide statistical data and
research used by NBIA in managing other Client Accounts.
A factor in the allocation of brokerage is NBIA’s evaluation of the quality of the brokers’ research,
meaning the extent to which such brokerage benefits some or all Client Accounts. For purposes of
evaluating such research, points are awarded in several categories and the allocation to brokerage
business is made based upon the number of points each broker receives. Research is often
received on an unrequested basis from brokers who are not awarded points. Often research
received from others is not used. Brokers who are not being awarded points for research are
nonetheless sometimes used in the interest of securing best execution.
Commissions paid by one Client Account would, in effect, subsidize services that benefit another
Client Account. However, any distortions should balance out over time as NBIA believes that its
various sources of research and brokerage services enable NBIA to make better investment
decisions and execute more effective trades. Therefore, NBIA does not usually attempt to allocate
the relative costs or benefits of research or brokerage services among Client Accounts. Certain
clients’ ability to pay for expenses through soft dollars could be limited by laws or regulations such
as the restrictions under MiFID II or by client restrictions. Although the Firm makes efforts to
169
ensure that the clients are treated equally when it comes to bearing these expenses, these legal
restrictions could result in clients who are not subject to the legal or client restrictions paying
more commissions for soft dollars than similar situated clients who are subject to such legal
restrictions. Additionally, those restrictions on paying soft dollar commissions could impact the
ability to aggregate the orders of clients with restrictions on soft dollars with the orders of clients
who do not have such soft dollar restrictions, which could impact the execution received by one
or both groups of clients. As part of the efforts to fairly distribute soft dollar expenses, each
portfolio management team sets a budget estimating the spending on research for the team over
the upcoming quarter that is monitored against the research commissions generated by that
portfolio management team’s clients. NBIA believes that, in the aggregate, the services it receives
benefit clients and assists NBIA in fulfilling its overall fiduciary duty to clients.
From time to time, NBIA receives directives from certain clients to make a “best effort” attempt to
transact business with a client-designated broker in consideration of services received solely by
that client from the broker. In such instances, only the particular client’s own soft dollars are used.
Unless contrary written instructions are provided by the client, primary consideration is still given
to seeking best execution of such transactions.
Types of Soft-Dollar Products and Services
: Research services provided by a broker-dealer can be
either proprietary (created and provided by the broker-dealer, including tangible research
products as well as access to analysts and traders) or third party (created by a third party but
provided by the broker-dealer). NBIA can use soft dollars to acquire either type of research and
any permissible brokerage services. NBIA has received the following soft-dollar products and
services during the last fiscal year: current and historical data concerning particular companies,
industries and the financial economy as a whole, as well as information and analysis thereof,
technical and statistical studies and data dealing with various investment opportunities, risks and
trends, and analysis involving special situations.
Directed Brokerage for Soft Dollar Services:
In limited circumstances, it is possible that NBIA will
enter into an agreement or understanding with a broker-dealer that would obligate NBIA to
exclusively direct a specific amount of brokerage transactions or commissions to the broker-
dealer in return for research (or brokerage) services. In some cases, NBIA will enter into a
commission sharing arrangement pursuant to which soft dollars generated are held in an account
for the benefit of NBIA, and credits from that account will be used to acquire soft dollar items.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
NBIA generally does not enter into agreements with, or make commitments to, any broker-dealer
that would bind NBIA to compensate that broker-dealer, directly or indirectly, for client referrals
(or sale of fund interests) through the placement of brokerage transactions. In accordance with
Rule 12b-1(h) promulgated under the Investment Company Act and the Affiliated Registered
Funds’ Directed Brokerage Policy, the Affiliated Registered Funds do not select brokers to execute
transactions in an Affiliated Registered Fund, or direct commissions to brokers, in consideration
of fund distribution. The policy also requires that NBIA never allocate commissions to a broker in
return for “shelf space” for the Affiliated Registered Funds, for exposure of Affiliated Registered
170
Funds to the broker’s sales force or clients, or for any other arrangement that is designed to
Directed Brokerage; Selection of Brokers
support or promote the broker’s sales of Affiliated Registered Funds.
Certain clients of NBIA have elected to use a specific broker-dealer for securities transactions in
their account. To the extent NBIA is required to direct some or all of the trades for such account
to a specific broker-dealer, NBIA does not have any role in, and does not have any responsibility
for, client’s selection of this broker-dealer. NBIA does not have any control over the broker’s
services, including commissions charged by such broker, and the nature and quality of executions
provided by such broker. As such, NBIA cannot ensure in any given transaction for an account
where the client has directed the use of a specific broker that it will be able to obtain the best price.
For example, NBIA can elect to purchase a security on behalf of certain of its Separate Accounts at
a broker that NBIA believes can execute the trade faster than the broker selected by the client for
its account. The purchase of the security for the undirected Separate Accounts could raise the
price of the security before the broker for the directed account could execute its purchase of the
security. This price impact could result in the directed brokerage account paying more than it
otherwise would have had the account's order been aggregated with the Separate Account’s order.
In addition, a client's selection of another broker could result in the client not receiving certain
benefits afforded NBIA’s clients for whom NBIA does select brokerage. Those benefits include
potential efficiencies in execution, clearance and settlement resulting from, among other things,
the bunching of orders for various clients (see Item 12.B).
To the extent a client elects to use a specific broker-dealer for securities transactions in its account,
but NBIA retains discretion in selecting the broker-dealer, NBIA will endeavor to use the selected
broker but generally has no obligation to use the broker-dealer if, in NBIA’s judgment, the use of
the broker-dealer would not be consistent with NBIA’s fiduciary obligations to obtain best
execution or where NBIA is not confident of the selected broker-dealer's execution capability for
a particular transaction. NBIA does not accept any responsibility for not using the broker selected
by a client on any such transactions in which NBIA does not allocate the brokerage to that broker.
NBIA could use step outs for client recapture purposes in order to mitigate dispersion and achieve
best execution.
For Wrap Program Clients, Unbundled Program Clients and Dual Contract Clients, in addition to
the above please also see Item 5.C for information regarding the execution of transactions through
the Program Sponsor or designated broker for Wrap Program Clients, Unbundled Program Clients
Other Fees in Connection with Trading
and Dual Contract Clients.
In an effort to achieve best execution of portfolio transactions, NBIA often trades securities for
Client Accounts by utilizing alternative trading systems. Some alternative trading systems impose
additional service fees or commissions. Those fees will be (i) paid by NBIA directly to the provider
of the services, (ii) included in the execution price of a security, or (iii) where applicable, billed
directly to the Client Account associated with the trading activity. NBIA’s intention is that it will
only use alternative trading systems and incur their fees if it believes that doing so helps it to
171
achieve best execution for the applicable transaction, taking into account all relevant factors
under the circumstances. For example, NBIA could consider the speed of the transaction, the price
Trade Errors
of the security, the research it receives and its ability to effect a block transaction.
e.g.,
e.g.,
Trade Errors
Trade errors can result from a variety of situations involving portfolio management (
inadvertent violation of investment restrictions) and trading (
miscommunication of
information, such as wrong number of shares, wrong price, wrong account, calling the transaction
”). In situations where
a buy rather than a sell and vice versa, etc.) (collectively, “
correcting a Trade Error would result in NBIA bearing financial losses, NBIA has an incentive to
ignore or understate the Trade Error. However, NBIA has adopted policies and procedures for
correcting Trade Errors. The policies and procedures require that all Trade Errors affecting a
Client Account be resolved promptly and fairly. Under certain circumstances, the policy provides
that trades can, where appropriate, be cancelled or modified prior to settlement. The intent of the
policy is to reasonably assure that, if a Trade Error results in a Client Account being in a worse
financial position, the Client Account is restored to the appropriate financial position considering
all relevant circumstances surrounding the error. Certain Trade Errors executed by the Principal
Strategies Group for certain Private Funds and certain Separate Accounts are not covered by the
policy.
B. Aggregation of Orders/Allocation of Trades
Aggregation
Affiliate Accounts”
There will be occasions when NBIA decides to purchase or sell the same security or financial
instrument for several Client Accounts at approximately the same time (including Separate
Accounts and certain fee-paying employee accounts, Private Funds, Non-U.S. Registered Funds,
Affiliated Registered Funds and other Sub-Advised Accounts). While NBIA is not obligated to do
so, in some cases, NBIA will combine or “bunch” such orders in order to secure certain efficiencies
and results with respect to execution, clearance and settlement of orders. Similarly, in some cases,
NBIA will elect to combine Client Account orders with orders entered for the same security for
client accounts of its Affiliated Advisers (“
). NBIA is not obligated to include
any Client Account in an aggregated trade. Transactions for any Client Account will not be
aggregated for execution if the practice is prohibited or inconsistent with that client’s investment
advisory agreement.
While NBIA effects trades in this manner to reduce the overall level of brokerage commissions
paid or otherwise enhance the proceeds or other benefits of the trade for its clients, NBIA also
directs transactions to brokers based on both the broker’s ability to provide high quality execution
and the nature and quality of research services, if any, such brokers provide to NBIA. As a result,
NBIA clients will not always pay the lowest available commission rates, so long as NBIA believes
that they are obtaining best execution under the circumstances, taking into account the soft dollar
benefits provided.
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The aggregation of orders could lead to a conflict of interest in the event an order cannot be
entirely fulfilled and NBIA is required to determine which accounts should receive executed
shares and in what order. NBIA will generally endeavor to aggregate and allocate orders in a
manner designed to ensure that no particular client or account is favored and that participating
Client Accounts and Affiliated Accounts are treated in a fair and equitable manner over time.
NBIA will receive no additional compensation or remuneration of any kind as a result of the
aggregation of client trades; rather, to the limited extent it is applicable and as agreed upon by the
client, commissions charged by NBIA’s affiliate will be charged at a rate as though the trades had
not been aggregated.
NBIA will act in a manner it believes is fair and equitable for its clients as a group when bunching
and price averaging.
Allocation of Investment Opportunities
NBIA serves as investment adviser for a number of clients and faces conflicts of interest when
allocating investment opportunities among its Client Accounts (and Affiliate Accounts). For
example: (i) NBIA receives different management or Performance Fees from different clients; and
(ii) NBIA and its affiliates, and certain of its owners, officers and employees invest substantial
amounts of their own capital in certain collective vehicles (including the Private Funds) in which
clients also invest. The majority of NBIA’s clients pursue specific investment strategies, many of
which are similar. NBIA expects that, over long periods of time, most clients pursuing similar
investment strategies will experience similar, but not identical, investment performance. Many
factors affect investment performance, including: (i) the timing of cash deposits and withdrawals
to and from an account; (ii) the fact that NBIA does not always purchase or sell a given security on
behalf of all clients pursuing similar strategies; (iii) price and timing differences when buying or
selling securities; and (iv) the clients’ own different investment restrictions. NBIA’s trading
policies are designed to minimize possible conflicts of interest in trading for its clients.
NBIA considers many factors when allocating securities among clients, including the client’s
investment objectives, applicable restrictions, the type of investment, the number of shares or
principal face amount purchased or sold, the size of the account, the amount of available cash in
the account, and the size of an existing position in the account. The nature of a client’s investment
style could exclude it from participating in many investment opportunities, even if the client is not
strictly precluded from participation based on written investment restrictions. Clients are not
assured of participating equally or at all in particular investment allocations. For example, as
noted in Item 4.B., certain advisory clients are not eligible to receive shares of IPOs or invest in
certain Private Investments. Similarly, the Investment Company Act prohibits certain Affiliated
Registered Funds from participating in certain transactions with certain of its affiliates and from
participating in “joint” transactions alongside certain of its affiliates. The prohibition on “joint”
transactions will limit the ability of an Affiliated Registered Fund to participate alongside its
affiliates in privately negotiated transactions unless the transaction is otherwise permitted under
existing regulatory guidance, and will reduce the amount of privately negotiated transactions in
which the Affiliated Registered Fund can participate. This may also limit the ability of NBIA to
negotiate, and in some instances, obtain, better terms on certain Private Investments where it
173
otherwise would have been able to for other Client Accounts, including the Private Funds that
invest in Private Investments.
MAG
MAG Administered Accounts
NBIA seeks to enter client trade orders in a fair, orderly, and equitable manner. To achieve this,
where applicable for equity trading, NBIA typically enters client orders on a rotational basis
through its various internal business lines, such as Neuberger Wealth, institutional (which
includes Registered Funds where applicable), and Managed Account Group (“
”) Program
accounts, which include Model Portfolio Program accounts administered by MAG. Certain Client
Accounts, including certain Neuberger Wealth Accounts, institutional accounts, and trust accounts,
”) and will be included in the MAG line
are administered by MAG (“
of business spot in the rotation. A consequence of this rotation is that, on any given day, Client
Accounts of different business lines – which have different places in that day’s rotation - are likely
to receive different execution prices and can experience different rates of return. Fixed income
trades are allocated among the accounts involved on a fair and equitable basis, typically pro rata.
NBIA considers many factors when allocating securities among accounts, including the account’s
investment objectives, applicable restrictions, the type of investment, the number of securities
purchased or sold, the size of the account, and the amount of available cash or the size of an existing
position in an account. Accounts are not assured of participating equally or at all in particular
investment allocations. The nature of an account’s investment style may exclude it from
participating in many investment opportunities, even if the account is not strictly precluded from
participation based on written investment restrictions.
SMA
UMA
Investment Style Sub-Rotation: Within the MAG line of business spot in the Firm-level trade
rotation, there is a sub-rotation among all sponsor firms associated with a specific
investment style. As such, within a particular applicable investment style, the MAG team
buckets the sponsor firms (which include the MAG Administered Accounts, which are
considered to be one sponsor firm) into the following four groups: (group 1) Individual
Separately Managed Account (“
”) Firms (for sponsor firms with significant assets in
that investment style) (group 2) Grouped SMA Firms (where sponsor firms with minimal
assets in that investment style are grouped together for purposes of the rotation); (group
3) Intra-day Unified Managed Account (“
”)/Model Firms (for firms in model-delivery
programs that accept and execute intra-day orders without restrictive trading cutoff times
or other limiting factors); and (group 4) Variable Trading UMA/Model Firms (for firms in
model-delivery programs that have restrictive trading cutoff times or other limiting factors
and are therefore unable to fully honor and execute intra-day orders within the same
trading day). The MAG team rotates order entry or trade recommendation delivery among
groups 1, 2 and 3. When it is the Individual SMA Firms’ (group 1) or Intra-day UMA/Model
Firms’ (group 3) place in the MAG rotation, the MAG team rotates order entry or trade
recommendation delivery among sponsor firms. When it is the Grouped SMA Firms’ (group
2) place in the rotation, the MAG team enters orders for the various sponsor firms’ accounts
concurrently. Depending on certain factors, including, but not limited to, trading volume
and other market conditions, NBIA may work orders typically subject to a rotation among
sponsor firms concurrently or will aggregate like orders and trade away from a sponsor
firm in an effort to expedite or establish additional controls on order execution when NBIA
174
believes that it is in the best interest of the order to do so. Additionally, where certain
sponsor firms have agreed to receive trade recommendations outside of the MAG team’s
stated rotational process (group 4) due to the configuration of their programs, the MAG
team takes steps to ensure that any such arrangement is fair and equitable to all programs.
Allocation of New Issues and Private Investments:
When allocating limited investment
opportunities, including new issues and Private Investments, NBIA has an incentive to favor
certain clients or accounts, such as higher fee-paying accounts (including accounts that are
subject to performance fees), larger clients, or clients from whom it is seeking additional
business. In addition, certain eligibility requirements (including ones imposed by NBIA) can
further limit the universe of clients to which NBIA will allocate certain investment opportunities.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, NBIA attempts to allocate limited investment opportunities
among clients in a manner that is fair and equitable when viewed over a considerable period of
time and involving many allocations.
pro rata
NBIA maintains policies and procedures to allocate securities in new issues and secondary
offerings and Private Investments. For example, the factors taken into account in allocating fixed
income new issues include whether the account’s investment objectives fall primarily within the
market capitalization of the issuer of securities to be allocated, cash available and legal
restrictions on the account. With respect to allocation of equity new issues, NBIA has adopted
procedures whereby portfolio managers who actively participate in the syndicate process will
receive a larger proportion of the shares than those received by other portfolio managers. Other
factors taken into account in allocating shares of equity new issues include investment guidelines
or restrictions on the account and whether the Client Account had invested in the company prior
to the issuance of new issues, whether there is a cornerstone opportunity, and whether any
Client Accounts invested in a Private Investment pursuant to an agreement that provides those
Client Accounts a contractual right to IPO shares. Once those factors are considered, the
securities are generally allocated on a random basis (with respect to Neuberger Wealth
Accounts) or on a
basis (with respect to Institutional Accounts) based on the assets
under management of each account. With respect to Private Investments, shares are allocated
pursuant to NBIA’s policies, which take into consideration factors including the source of the
deal, the portfolio management teams’ involvement in the due diligence, NBIA’s fiduciary duty
to existing Client Accounts, and the investment objectives of the Client Accounts. Other than
when contractually agreed, investors with co-investment rights generally do not participate until
all existing Client Accounts are allocated shares. Unallocated amounts may be shared with the
“private” side of the Firm subject to the Information Barrier Procedures.
International Equity Strategy Considerations
: NBIA manages distinct international equity
strategies that purchase the securities of non-U.S. issuers in two types of accounts: those that
choose to purchase only ADRs, and those that purchase securities traded in local markets as well
as ADRs. In order to reduce the probability of marketplace disruptions, at the discretion of each
portfolio manager, international equity accounts that are permitted to purchase either securities
in the local market or ADRs could receive priority over those accounts that are permitted to
purchase only ADRs. We believe that this trading methodology should result in better overall
175
execution quality for all clients, but cannot assure this outcome. As a result of receiving priority,
it is possible that the performance of accounts that are able to purchase both local securities and
ADRs and accounts that are able to purchase only ADRs will differ.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The Legal and Compliance Department, in conjunction with the Firm’s Risk Group, is responsible
for monitoring and interpreting the Firm’s policies. Any exceptions to the Firm’s policies require
the prior approval of the Legal and Compliance Department.
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Review of Accounts
Item 13:
A. Periodic Reviews
NBIA’s portfolio managers review accounts on a periodic basis, consistent with an account’s
needs. Certain accounts require daily review, while others require less frequent review. In
reviewing accounts, portfolio managers take into consideration both client objectives and goals,
and the manager’s investment thesis for the total portfolio, as well as for particular securities and
other assets. The client assets within each single strategy Separate Account for which NBIA serves
as the discretionary investment adviser will be monitored on a continuous basis. With respect to
the Wealth Advisory Program, NBIA will monitor the allocation of client assets across strategies
on at least a quarterly basis.
Portfolio managers and traders are responsible for ensuring that the portfolio is in compliance
with internal guidelines, as well as guidelines established by the client. As such, the investment
professionals responsible for trading are the first step in maintaining compliance with investment
guidelines and investment policy. Because portfolio managers can access online portfolio data,
which is updated daily for each portfolio, they are able to “drill down” from sector to individual
security in order to assess compliance with client guidelines.
While NBIA looks to the portfolio managers as the first step in the compliance process, NBIA
recognizes the need for additional, independent oversight. The Firm’s Asset Management
Guideline Oversight group serves as an independent supervisory group responsible for ensuring
that portfolios are managed in accordance with investment guidelines. In addition, with respect
to Neuberger Wealth Accounts, members of CSG are also responsible for monitoring whether
portfolios are managed in accordance with their investment guidelines and whether investments
made for any client portfolio are suitable for, and in the best interest of, the particular client.
Members of CSG are also responsible for reviewing, among other things, daily option trading, new
account forms and account update forms including changes to investment objectives (including,
where applicable, EIGs and risk profiles).
The number of Client Accounts supervised by each portfolio manager varies depending upon a
particular manager’s workload and can change from time to time. Some portfolio managers are
responsible for managing portfolios on behalf of an Affiliated Adviser. The process relating to the
review of the accounts of an Affiliated Adviser would be governed by the policies of such affiliate.
In addition to the practices outlined above, the Firm’s Legal and Compliance Department reviews
transactions for possible conflicts and adherence to the Code of Ethics and regulatory obligations,
on a daily basis. This includes reviews of trade data and exception reports, which are generally
conducted by one of several compliance analysts. Topics covered in the review include front
running and trading on the basis of material, non-public information.
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B. Non-Periodic Reviews
Other than the periodic review of accounts described above, certain account anomalies will trigger
non-periodic reviews of Client Accounts.
C. Client Reports
Separate Accounts and Non-Discretionary Accounts
— NBIA will provide periodic reports to its
Separate Account and Non-Discretionary Account clients regarding the status of their accounts
based on the needs of the individual client. Such reports vary among client accounts based on size
and type of account or client. Clients will generally also receive reports from their respective
Qualified Custodians no less frequently than quarterly.
When required by the client,
confirmations are sent to such client on the next business day following the execution of a
transaction in the client’s account. Statements are also sent each month in which there is activity
in the account. In addition to the reports described above, many clients periodically meet with
their NBIA representative.
Private Funds
— Investors in Private Funds
“GAAP”
e.g.,
Schedule K-1).
receive such reports as described in the Private
Fund’s Offering Documents (or as otherwise negotiated with NBIA). Generally, annual audited
financial statements of the Private Fund will be prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles (
) and distributed to investors. Investors generally also
receive monthly or quarterly reports containing information on the Private Fund’s portfolio
holdings, valuation of their interests in the Private Fund and cash distributions. Some of those
reports include or are accompanied by information with respect to the performance of the Private
Fund, other information about the investor’s account and general market information. Private
Fund investors will also receive certain tax-reporting information (
Affiliated Registered Funds
provides
reports
to
each
Affiliated
Registered
Fund’s
Board
— Affiliated Registered Fund investors receive such reports as are
required by the Investment Company Act or other applicable laws and regulations. In addition,
of
NBIA
Trustees/Directors/Managers, as requested by the Board and as required by the Investment
Company Act.
e.g.,
NBIA often relies on information provided by third parties in preparing reports, and a third party
often assists in preparing or distributing reports. To the extent reports include or rely upon
information from a source other than NBIA (
benchmark information when a report includes
a comparison of the Affiliated Registered Fund’s performance to one or more benchmark indices),
NBIA attempts to obtain such information from reliable sources; however, the accuracy of that
information cannot be guaranteed. Some reports also include or rely upon fair value
determinations made by NBIA or a third party. While valuations are made in good faith, their
actual or empirical accuracy cannot be guaranteed. NBIA, in its discretion, will, from time to time,
provide more frequent reports or more detailed information to all or any of its clients.
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Sub-Advised Accounts
— NBIA coordinates with Sub-Advised Account clients or their permitted
designees to provide periodic reviews and reporting to the client or investors as required. Clients
and investors in a sub-advised fund receive such reports as required by the investment adviser as
provided in the applicable sub-advisory agreement and as required by applicable law or
regulation.
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
— Wrap Program Clients and Unbundled Program Clients
receive such reports as provided by the Program Sponsors or designated brokers. Wrap Program
Clients and Unbundled Program Clients should refer to the relevant Program’s disclosure
document for additional information about the reports provided to Program participants. Dual
Contract Clients, or, with their permission, the applicable Program Sponsor or designated broker,
can request to receive reports substantially similar to the reports NBIA provides to its Separate
Account clients or as required by applicable law or regulation, based on the needs of individual
Dual Contract Clients. In addition, the Dual Contract Clients will generally also receive reports
from the Program Sponsors or designated brokers. Such reports vary among Dual Contract
Clients’ accounts based on size and type of account or client. In some cases, NBIA will also make
custom supplemental reporting available for certain Dual Contract Clients and Program Sponsors.
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Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Item 14:
A. Compensation by Non-Clients
From time to time, NBIA and its affiliates participate in revenue sharing arrangements with
respect to certain third-party strategies and products. However, generally the revenue and
resulting compensation received by NBIA, its affiliates and their respective employees with
respect to those third-party strategies and products will be less than the revenue compensation
received by NBIA and NBIA employee for similar proprietary strategies and products.
Accordingly, on the one hand, the revenue sharing arrangements create an incentive for NBIA, its
affiliates, and their respective employees to allocate client assets to the third-party strategies and
products for which NBIA and its affiliate have a revenue sharing arrangement over other
strategies and products. On the other hand, because the revenue and resulting compensation
received by NBIA, its affiliates and their respective employees with respect to those third-party
strategies and products will be less than the revenue compensation received by NBIA, its affiliates
and their respective employees for similar proprietary strategies and products, this creates an
incentive for NBIA, its affiliates and their respective employees to recommend or invest in
proprietary strategies despite those third-party products and strategies being available.
B. Compensation for Client Referrals
Subject to applicable law, certain employees of NBIA and its affiliates are eligible to earn an
account referral commission for referring a potential client to NBIA that engages NBIA to provide
investment advisory services. In addition, from time to time, in accordance with applicable law,
NBIA retains and compensates financial intermediaries and other third parties for introducing
new clients to NBIA for NBIA’s advisory services. Those third parties are retained as independent
contractors to refer clients and engage in other promotional activity for NBIA and its advisory
services. In that capacity, the third-party promoter is authorized to recommend, solicit, approve,
support, discuss or describe experiences, or engage in other promotional activity related to NBIA,
its investment advisory services and personnel that constitutes an “endorsement” or “testimonial”
of NBIA, as such terms are defined under Rule 206(4)-1 under the Advisers Act. See also Item 5.E.
SM
From time to time, in accordance with applicable law, NBIA will enter into referral arrangements
with financial intermediaries, including participation in third-party programs, such as Fidelity
, for the purpose of introducing new investment advisory clients to
Wealth Advisor Solutions
NBIA. Under the referral arrangements, all referral parties are independent contractors and the
compensation paid to such parties generally represents a percentage of the assets under
management with respect to the applicable client or the management/advisory fee paid by the
client to NBIA. In some cases, clients pay a higher fee than they would otherwise pay due to the
referring party’s involvement in the introduction.
Referral arrangements give rise to conflicts of interests given that the referring party has a
financial incentive to introduce new investment advisory clients to NBIA. In certain cases, other
conflicts of interest exist. In those cases, the referring party is required to disclose the specific
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conflict to the potential client prior to, or at the time of, the referral. NBIA’s participation in the
referral arrangements does not diminish its fiduciary obligations to its clients. Consistent with its
obligations under the Advisers Act, NBIA provides disclosures for the referral parties to distribute
to potential clients relating to the applicable referral arrangement.
Consultants
Financial Intermediaries
NBIA sponsors educational events where its representatives meet with consultants, broker-
dealers, and other financial intermediaries (collectively “
”), or their
clients. NBIA often charges a participation fee or pays for some of all of the expenses of the
participants. NBIA also participates
in educational programs sponsored by Financial
Intermediaries. NBIA sometimes pays a fee to participate in such programs. Both of these types
of events provide NBIA with an opportunity to meet with Financial Intermediaries or their clients.
Any fees paid by NBIA are from its own resources, which include the management fees received
from its clients. Clients should confer with their Financial Intermediaries regarding the details of
the payments their Financial Intermediaries receive from NBIA. In addition, NBIA and its affiliates
actively seek to educate Financial Intermediaries in connection with the Firm’s registered fund
business. NBIA benefits from such activity as it advises Affiliated Registered Funds.
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Custody
Item 15:
Separate Accounts, Non-Discretionary Accounts
Generally, neither NBIA nor its affiliates will maintain physical possession of the funds, securities
or other assets that a client maintains in a Separate Account or Non-Discretionary Account. The
assets in an Institutional Account or Non-Discretionary Account typically are deposited with a
Qualified Custodian selected by the client. Under the investment management agreement, NBIA
generally invoices the Institutional Account or Non-Discretionary Account client and the client
directs its Qualified Custodian to pay NBIA.
FX Transactions
e.g.
Unless otherwise agreed by NBIA, any foreign exchange transactions related to trade settlement
”) will be executed by the
or repatriation of dividends, interest or other income (“
Qualified Custodian selected by the client, as part of the services provided by the Qualified
Custodian to the client. Notwithstanding any standing instructions or other documentation
executed by NBIA per the Qualified Custodian’s requirements, the client, and not NBIA, is
responsible for (i) the selection of the Qualified Custodian, and (ii) the handling or directing of, or
nature and quality of, the FX Transactions executed by the Qualified Custodian, including the
reasonableness of fees charged by the Qualified Custodian. Clients should contact their Qualified
Custodian for information regarding FX Transactions executed by the Qualified Custodian,
including any alternative arrangements (
, “benchmark fx” arrangements) and the related fees
and expenses. Where NBIA agrees to undertake responsibility for FX Transactions, NBIA’s
responsibility will generally be limited to trade settlement for FX Transactions in unrestricted
currencies. Where FX Transactions are executed by NBIA, NBIA will seek best execution (which
could include effectuating transactions with the client’s Qualified Custodian or other
counterparties). It is possible that the client will be subject to trade-away or other fees. Generally,
NBIA will not take responsibility for other FX Transactions, which responsibility will remain with
the client and the client’s Qualified Custodian.
Neuberger Wealth Accounts to which NBBD serves as broker-dealer (including accounts invested
through the Wealth Advisory Program) are typically introduced by NBBD to its clearing firm,
currently NFS, which serves as the client’s Qualified Custodian.
PCAOB
The Qualified Custodian will send quarterly (or more frequent) account statements directly to the
client. Clients should carefully review those statements. NBIA provides quarterly (or more
frequent) account statements to its clients. Clients should carefully read and compare any account
statements received from NBIA against account statements received from their Qualified
Custodian. In limited circumstances, NBIA will be deemed to have “constructive” custody due to
certain authority it could have been granted over a client’s custodial account with a Qualified
Custodian. In order to comply with the Custody Rule, NBIA engages an independent accounting
firm registered with, and subject to inspection by, the Public Company Accounting Oversight
”) to conduct an annual surprise examination of such clients’ funds and securities.
Board (“
Private Funds
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With the exception of certain privately offered securities, none of NBIA nor its affiliates will
maintain physical possession of the funds, securities or other assets of any Private Fund. Physical
custody of the assets of a Private Fund will be maintained with a Qualified Custodian selected by
NBIA, an affiliate or the third-party adviser to such Private Funds (as applicable), in its exclusive
discretion, which selection may change from time to time generally without the consent of (but
with notice to) investors in the Private Fund.
Certain Private Funds have “prime brokerage” arrangements with certain Prime Brokers. For a
Private Fund with a prime broker arrangement, a substantial amount of the brokerage
transactions will likely be effected through the Prime Broker. Through this arrangement, the
Prime Broker performs the following functions, among others: (1) arrange for the receipt and
delivery of securities bought, sold, borrowed and lent; (2) make and receive payments for
securities; (3) maintain physical possession and custody of cash and securities; and (4) deliver
cash to the Private Fund’s bank accounts. The Prime Broker will generally maintain physical
possession or custody of a certain portion of the Private Fund’s assets.
Although NBIA or its affiliates will generally not have physical possession or custody of any
Private Fund assets, under the Custody Rule, an adviser has “constructive” custody if it has the
authority to possess client assets by withdrawing funds on a client’s behalf. With respect to
certain Private Funds, NBIA or its affiliates, by virtue of acting as the GP Entity of the Private Fund,
has the authority to withdraw funds or securities from the Private Fund. Accordingly, NBIA is
deemed to have “constructive” custody over the assets in certain Private Funds.
In order to comply with the Custody Rule, certain Private Funds undergo an annual audit
performed by an independent accounting firm registered with, and subject to inspection by, the
PCAOB. With respect to those Private Funds that undergo an annual audit, the audited financial
statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP, are distributed to all investors in each Private
Fund that operates as a “fund-of-fund,” within 180 days of the end of the fund’s fiscal year and to
all investors in each other Private Fund, within 120 days of the end of the fund’s fiscal year.
Affiliated Registered Funds
Neither NBIA nor its affiliates maintain physical possession of the assets of any Affiliated
Registered Fund, including any securities. The assets of each Affiliated Registered Fund are held
in an account of a Qualified Custodian in accordance with the requirements of the Investment
Company Act.
Sub-Advised Accounts
e.g.,
Separate
Sub-Advised Accounts are custodied in accordance with the particular type of client (
Accounts, Private Funds, Third-Party Mutual Funds, and Non-U.S. Registered Funds).
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
NBIA does not maintain physical possession of the funds or securities in Wrap Program accounts,
Unbundled Program accounts, or Dual Contract Program accounts. The assets in a Program
account or Dual Contract Program account are typically custodied with the Program Sponsor or a
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designated broker that is a Qualified Custodian selected by the Program Sponsor, Program Client
or Dual Contract Client.
Where the Qualified Custodian is selected by the Program Sponsor, Program Client or Dual
Contract Client, NBIA’s services do not include participation in the selection of the Qualified
Custodian, the structuring of custody arrangements, or the supervision of the Qualified Custodian.
NBIA assumes no responsibility nor liability with respect to the acts, omissions or other conduct
of the Qualified Custodian of the Program Sponsor or client. If the Qualified Custodian invests
otherwise uninvested cash in a client’s custodial account, NBIA does not participate in those
investment decisions and is not liable with regard to those investments.
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Investment Discretion
Item 16:
Discretionary
e.g.,
Subject to any investment guidelines or instructions communicated by a client to NBIA from time
to time, NBIA enters into investment management agreements, sub-advisory agreements or other
agreements with its clients that give NBIA authority, without obtaining specific client consent, to
buy, sell, hold, exchange, convert or otherwise trade in any securities (including equity and fixed
income), loans and other financial instruments, including derivatives. With respect to the
Discretionary Wealth Program, NBIA also has discretion to select the strategies in which client
invests, which strategies include Third-Party Separate Accounts, Proprietary Separate Accounts,
CITs, Affiliated Registered Funds, Third-Party Registered Funds, and Semi-Liquid Private Funds
(and, in limited cases, other Private Funds, Private Investments and affiliated Non-U.S. Registered
Funds). Generally, NBIA also has discretion to choose the broker-dealer(s) to be used and the
commission rates paid unless the client instructs otherwise. NBIA’s discretionary authority is
derived from an express grant of authority under each client’s investment advisory agreement,
sub-advisory agreement, or other agreement with NBIA. With respect to certain agreements,
NBIA is also given the authority to execute agreements or other documents on behalf of the client
to effectuate NBIA’s duties under the agreement. In addition, NBIA’s discretionary authority
the right
generally allows NBIA to exercise any right incident to any securities or other assets (
to vote) held in the Client Account and to issue instructions to the Qualified Custodian for the
Client Account for such purposes, as NBIA deems necessary and appropriate in the management
of the Client Account. For additional information regarding proxy voting for Client Accounts, see
Item 17. From time to time, NBIA is engaged to provide limited investment management services
such as liquidating a Client Account. See also Item 4.C.
Purchases and sales must be suitable for, and in the best interest of, the particular client and
limitations are sometimes imposed as a result of instructions from the client through investment
guidelines or other writings. Some clients limit NBIA’s authority by prohibiting or limiting the
purchase of certain securities or other assets or industry groups. In addition, some clients further
limit NBIA’s authority by restricting the use of certain brokers or by requiring that a portion of
client’s transactions be executed through the client’s designated broker. See Item 12.A. If a client
restricts the use of certain brokers or directs some or all of its trades to particular brokers, it is
possible that the client will receive a more or less advantageous price or execution on its securities
trades than other clients that do not place restrictions on the use of certain brokers or direct
execution to particular brokers.
From time to time, the Firm places restrictions on trading in certain securities or other assets in
Client Accounts. Legal or regulatory considerations or Firm risk management policies will
necessitate that the Firm restrict trading in certain issuers. Limitations will also be imposed when
the purchase of a security, when aggregated with positions in such security held by NBIA for itself,
by insiders, and by other clients, would exceed applicable law or NBIA’s self-imposed rules with
regard to maximum size of positions in a security. NBIA will not be able to trade in any securities
on the Firm restricted list on behalf of any Client Accounts, except with approval by the Firm’s
Legal and Compliance Department.
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For example, pursuant to the Firm’s policies and procedures on the handling of material non-
public information, when the Firm is in possession of material non-public information related to
a publicly-traded security or the issuer of such security, whether acquired unintentionally or
otherwise, in general, neither the Firm nor its personnel are permitted to render investment
advice as to, or otherwise trade or recommend a trade in, the securities of such issuer until such
time as the information is no longer deemed to be material or non-public. As such, there are
circumstances that could prevent the purchase or sale of securities for certain Client Accounts
for a period of time. See Item 11.D.1.
Non-Discretionary
NBIA provides non-discretionary investment management services to institutional and individual
clients where it is required to consult with a client before effecting any transactions for the Client
Account. In some situations, NBIA simply provides non-binding investment advice in the form of
a model portfolio or written investment analyses on specific securities with no execution
involvement.
With respect to certain Separate Account clients, including Non-Discretionary Wealth Program
clients, while NBIA has ongoing responsibility to select strategies, products, securities, or other
investments that are purchased or sold for the Client Account, NBIA will be required to consult
with the client before effecting any such purchases or sales for the Client Account. In addition,
from time to time, existing Neuberger Wealth Account clients will direct NBIA or its affiliate,
NBBD, to purchase or sell securities on their behalf in a Client-Directed Transaction. With respect
to Client-Directed Transactions, neither NBIA nor NBBD will assume investment advisory
responsibility for those transactions or holdings and does not have any duty to monitor those
holdings. The client is the final decision maker on all buy, sell and hold decisions with respect to
those transactions and holdings.
Wrap and Related Program Accounts
Please refer to Item 4.D. for a discussion of NBIA’s discretionary authority for Wrap Program
accounts, Unbundled Program accounts and Dual Contract Program accounts, and for a discussion
of NBIA’s non-discretionary investment management services under Model Portfolio Programs.
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Voting Client Securities
Item 17:
“Proxy Voting Policy”
NBIA generally has voting power with respect to securities in all of its Client Accounts (including,
as applicable, the Client Accounts of clients that invest through the Wealth Advisory Program),
other than Non-Discretionary Accounts. With respect to some Separate Accounts and Sub-
Advised Accounts (including, as applicable, the Client Accounts of clients that invest through the
Wealth Advisory Program), the client has not delegated voting power to NBIA. NBIA has
implemented written Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the
) that are
designed to reasonably ensure that NBIA votes proxies in the best interest of clients, in accordance
with NBIA’s fiduciary duties, applicable rules under the Advisers Act, fiduciary standards and
responsibilities for ERISA clients set out in Department of Labor interpretations, the UK
Stewardship Code, the Japan Stewardship Code and other applicable laws and regulations. The
Proxy Voting Policy also provides for the process by which proxy voting decisions are made, the
handling of material conflicts, the disclosure of the Proxy Voting Policy to clients, and the
maintenance of appropriate books and records relating to proxies. In instances where NBIA does
not have authority to vote client proxies, it is the responsibility of the client to instruct their
relevant custody bank or banks to mail proxy material directly to such client so they can vote their
shares directly.
NBIA generally votes proxies with a view to enhancing the value of the shares of stock held in the
Client Accounts. NBIA will endeavor to vote client proxies in accordance with a client’s specific
request even if it is in a manner inconsistent with NBIA’s proxy votes for other Client Accounts.
Any of those specific requests should be made in writing to NBIA by the individual client or by an
authorized officer, representative or named fiduciary of a client.
Proxy Committee
Voting Guidelines
Glass Lewis
The Neuberger Governance and Proxy Voting Committee (“
”) is responsible for
developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Proxy Voting Policy and the Governance
and Proxy Voting Guidelines (“
”), administering and overseeing the proxy
voting process, and engaging and overseeing any independent third-party vendors as voting
delegates to review, monitor and vote proxies. In order to apply the Proxy Voting Policy in a timely
”) to vote eligible
and consistent manner, NBIA utilizes Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC (“
proxies in accordance with NBIA’s Voting Guidelines or, in instances where a material conflict has
been determined to exist, NBIA will generally instruct that such shares be voted in the same
proportion as other shares are voted with respect to a proposal, subject to applicable legal,
regulatory and operational requirements. The Voting Guidelines represent the voting positions
most likely to support our clients’ best economic interests. The Voting Guidelines are not intended
to constrain NBIA’s consideration of the specific issues facing a particular company on a particular
vote, and so there will be times when NBIA’s vote decisions will deviate from the Voting
Guidelines.
In the event that a NBIA investment professional believes that it is in the best interest of a client
or clients to vote proxies in a manner inconsistent with the Voting Guidelines, the NBIA
investment professional will contact a member of the Proxy Committee, or a designee of the Proxy
Committee, and complete and sign a questionnaire in the form adopted from time to time. The
questionnaire will require specific information, including the reasons the NBIA investment
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professional believes a proxy vote in that manner is in the best interest of a client or clients and
disclosure of specific ownership, business or personal relationship, or other matters that raise a
potential material conflict of interest with respect to the voting of the proxy. The Proxy Committee
will meet with the NBIA investment professional to review the completed questionnaire and
consider such other information as it deems appropriate to determine that there is no material
conflict of interest with respect to the voting of the proxy in the requested manner. Unless the
Proxy Committee determines that the vote presents a material conflict, the Proxy Committee will
make a determination whether to vote the proxy as recommended by the NBIA investment
professional. In the event that the Proxy Committee determines that the voting of a proxy as
recommended by the NBIA investment professional would not be appropriate, the Proxy
Committee will: (i) take no further action, in which case the Proxy Committee will vote the proxy
in accordance with the Voting Guidelines; (ii) disclose the conflict to the client or clients and obtain
written direction from the client with respect to voting the proxy; (iii) suggest that the client or
clients engage another party to determine how to vote the proxy; (iv) instruct that such shares
be voted in the same proportion as other shares are voted with respect to a proposal, subject to
applicable legal, regulatory and operational requirements; or (v) engage another independent
third party to determine how to vote the proxy if voting in the manner described in (iv) is not
feasible. A record of the Proxy Committee’s determinations is prepared and maintained in
accordance with applicable policies.
In the event that the Voting Guidelines do not address how a proxy should be voted, the Proxy
Committee will make a determination as to how the proxy should be voted. The Proxy Committee
will consider those matters it deems appropriate to determine how the proxy should be voted,
including whether there is a material conflict of interest with respect to the voting of the proxy in
accordance with its decision. The Proxy Committee will document its consideration of those
matters, and NBIA then instructs Glass Lewis to vote in such manner with respect to applicable
client or clients. Material conflicts cannot be resolved by simply abstaining from voting.
Quality Equity Voting Guidelines
For clients in strategies managed by the Quality Equity Team, NBIA has adopted separate voting
guidelines (the “
”). In the event the Quality Equity Voting
Guidelines do not address how a proxy should be voted, the proxy will be voted as determined by
the Proxy Committee.
PSG
NBIA has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures for the Principal Strategies Group (“
”)
that are intended to facilitate the objectives of its investment strategies, which can be dependent
on the outcome of stockholders’ votes. Those policies and procedures provide that the Proxy
Committee has a more limited role as it relates to PSG’s voting decisions than it has for other NBIA
investment teams. The PSG policies and procedures generally provide that proxies will be voted
in accordance with Neuberger’s Voting Guidelines with respect to routine matters; however, in
certain circumstances, both routine and non-routine, a PSG portfolio manager could determine
that it is appropriate to vote in a manner inconsistent with Neuberger’s Voting Guidelines and
with other NBIA teams in an effort to best facilitate PSG’s strategies.
Some Client Accounts where NBIA has authority and responsibility to vote proxies may participate
in a securities lending program administered by NBIA. Where a security is currently on loan and
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eligible to be voted at a shareholder meeting, NBIA will generally attempt to terminate the loan in
time to vote those shares. Where a security that is potentially subject to being loaned is eligible to
be voted in a shareholder meeting, a portfolio manager may restrict the security from lending.
NBIA maintains the list of securities restricted from lending and receives daily updates on
upcoming proxy events from Client Accounts’ custodian banks.
Conflicts:
NBIA will vote proxies in accordance with the Voting Guidelines or, in instances where a material
conflict has been determined to exist, NBIA will generally instruct that such shares be voted in the
same proportion as other shares are voted with respect to a proposal, subject to applicable legal,
regulatory and operational requirements. NBIA believes that this process is reasonably designed
to address material conflicts of interest that arise in conjunction with proxy voting decisions.
Clients can obtain a copy of the Proxy Voting Policy, which is also available on NBIA’s website, or
obtain information about how NBIA voted their specific proxies upon request.
Class Action Lawsuits:
From time to time a security held in a Client Account could become the subject of a class action
lawsuit. For certain Neuberger Wealth Accounts and the Affiliated Registered Funds, a third-party
vendor has been engaged to identify, assert and file claims in class actions and private action
securities litigation on behalf of the client or fund. Unless a client opts out of the service, such
third-party vendor is authorized by client, but not obligated, on client’s behalf and with respect to
the Client Account, to review client data in order to identify claims, complete claim forms, interact
with the administrator, receive settlement funds and distribute such funds, if any, to the Client
Account. With respect to Separate Accounts for which a third-party vendor is not providing this
service, generally, the Qualified Custodian for the account handles any decision to file a claim to
participate in a class action settlement, and unless otherwise agreed with the client, NBIA has no
responsibilities with regard to the class action process. With respect to Private Funds, typically
the Qualified Custodian or other third-party agent engaged by the Private Fund, at the direction
of NBIA, will handle the class action process and file claims.
With respect to Third-Party Mutual Funds and unaffiliated Private Funds, unless otherwise agreed
with NBIA, typically the Qualified Custodian or other third-party agent engaged by the fund will
handle the class action process and file claims.
Generally, NBIA will not act on behalf of its clients as a lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit or as
a plaintiff in any potential direct action.
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Financial Information
Item 18:
A. Prepayment of Fees (Six or more months in advance)
NBIA does not require the prepayment of any fees six or more months in advance.
B. Impairment of Contractual Commitments
NBIA has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet contractual and fiduciary
commitments to clients.
C. Bankruptcy Petitions
NBIA has not been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
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